Outdoor Woodburning Firepit

 

BURNING WOOD FOR ATMOSPHERE
AND AMBIANCE

Medium and Soft Wood

 The following wood types and combinations of wood types are what are commonly available for use in Arizona for burning in fireplaces both indoor and outdoor, primarily for atmosphere, (some heating wood recommendations are also suggested)

Ambiance wood is a wood that has the following properties: Smells great, is relatively easy to light, burns relatively clean, crackles but is not too explosive.
 
The Juniper family, the most popular of all southwestern woods, (burned by over 90% of all Resorts and Country Clubs in Arizona, often mistakenly referred to as Mesquite), also often mistakenly referred to as Cedar, (has similar aroma to Cedar but Cedar burns extremely fast, like Spruce, Fir or Pine). There are two main types of Juniper, they are:

Alligator Juniper, the most aromatic of the Junipers, cleanest bark, easiest to light, medium burning, and typically the most expensive of the Junipers. The King of the Junipers.

Shaggy Juniper, (Utah Juniper, One-Seed Juniper), also very aromatic but burns slower and longer than Alligator Juniper so fragrance is not released as fast, typically messy bark, burns hot and long, very much like a better hardwood, (burns longer than Citrus for instance), burns very clean when Dry, very little smoke, Shaggy Juniper is relatively easy to light, typically the least expensive of the better burning wood types. It does crackle and pop but not excessively.

Desert Rock Pine, an arid region Pine, (Mediterranean Rock Pine, Aleppo Pine is native to the Mediterranean region. The range extends from Morocco and Spain north to southern France, Italy and Croatia, and east to Greece and northern Libya, Syria (including Aleppo), Jordan and Israel. It is generally found in the inhabited low-lying desert regions of Arizona and California) a pine with a cell structure similar to hardwoods, the longest, slowest and cleanest burning of all pines, burns similar to Juniper but cleaner.

Pinyon, an arid region Pine, with a cell structure similar to hardwoods, a long, and slow burning  pine, burns similar to Shaggy Juniper, but not quite as long. Also has a great aroma, sometimes called "Santa Fe" smell, as it reminds one of being in New Mexico in the winter. Also relatively easy to light, an occasional piece may put off a lot of smoke, but generally clean burning. Very little popping and crackling.

Ponderosa Pine, a true Pine, easy to light, burns extremely fast, can be very smoky, not recommended for indoor burning or wherever excessive smoke can be a factor, typically the cheapest wood available. OK for camping or starting a stubborn burning wood. Very explosive popping and crackling.


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Serving Arizona and the Southwest since 1974...
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