# Burning a Giant Sequoia



## prajna101 (Oct 19, 2009)

I have been lurking and finally have a reason to post.  Does anyone have experience burning sequoia?  I have access to a pretty much unlimited supply of branches that have fall off of some of the trees at my work.  I have been walking past them for about a year now thinking the piles were twigs, but I find that those branches are 5-7 inches in diameter (everything looks small under those trees).  These are dead branches that the arborists cut down and pile up before they fall and kill someone.  So they are bone dry.  Been dead for years hanging in the trees.  I bucked up about 1/2 cord and brought them home and I didnt even put a dent in the pile.  Its too warm to try them out, so I am asking whether I should go get more or leave them for something denser.  

I must admit that hauling armloads of them is sure easy compared with the oak and maple that I am used to.  Its hard to pass up such easy pickings, but I dont want to load up on something that is useless.  

Any thoughts?

Todd


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## rdust (Oct 19, 2009)

Comparable to pine I'd figure??  The price is right so I'd try some out...


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## Jags (Oct 19, 2009)

All properly seasoned wood burns.  The only difference is how many pounds (BTU) per stick from one species to another.  If its that easy - grab it.  It will make fine shoulder season wood, when you only want a short hot fire for warming things up a bit.


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## prajna101 (Oct 19, 2009)

Yeah I am thinking I will have to shovel it into the stove pretty often.  So I just burn it during the evenings, and then load a set of good big stuff for the all night burns,

t


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## gzecc (Oct 19, 2009)

I had a similar thought when I saw my first Sequoia.  My exact thought (that I said to my son) was "man, Sequoia wood must suck to build or use as firewood, if it was good, it would all be gone! Can you imagine how much wood is in one of those trees?  The first europeans to see those trees must have been drooling!  I bet they were dissappointed when they cut them down.  If not, they would all be gone!


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## rdust (Oct 19, 2009)

gzecc said:
			
		

> I had a similar thought when I saw my first Sequoia.  My exact thought (that I said to my son) was "man, Sequoia wood must suck to build or use as firewood, if it was good, it would all be gone! Can you imagine how much wood is in one of those trees?  The first europeans to see those trees must have been drooling!  I bet they were dissappointed when they cut them down.  If not, they would all be gone!



When I toured the Yosemite Sequoia groves they said how many acres of pine it took to equal one Giant Sequoia and the number was large(staggering) although I can't remember then exact number now.


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## prajna101 (Oct 19, 2009)

That got be to thinking.  I had to go look up the area of a cylinder equation.  I figure the sequoia out my office window contains one cord of wood for each 2 ft long round!  That tree has to be a couple hundred feet tall, so. . . That is 100 cords of wood in one tree  Wow.  If they ever fell the whole thing, I will be set.  

t


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## TreePapa (Oct 19, 2009)

I resemble that remark.

;-}

- Sequoia
(which is my "real" name, or at least the first name on my D/L and other ID)


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## prajna101 (Oct 19, 2009)

Yeah, I figured that out when I tried to search the forum.  I found every post you ever made.  

t


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## kenny chaos (Oct 19, 2009)

TreePapa said:
			
		

> I resemble that remark.
> 
> ;-}
> 
> ...





And I imagine you've been burned before.


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## Bigg_Redd (Oct 20, 2009)

TriTodd said:
			
		

> I have been lurking and finally have a reason to post.  Does anyone have experience burning sequoia?  I have access to a pretty much unlimited supply of branches that have fall off of some of the trees at my work.  I have been walking past them for about a year now thinking the piles were twigs, but I find that those branches are 5-7 inches in diameter (everything looks small under those trees).  These are dead branches that the arborists cut down and pile up before they fall and kill someone.  So they are bone dry.  Been dead for years hanging in the trees.  I bucked up about 1/2 cord and brought them home and I didnt even put a dent in the pile.  Its too warm to try them out, so I am asking whether I should go get more or leave them for something denser.
> 
> I must admit that hauling armloads of them is sure easy compared with the oak and maple that I am used to.  Its hard to pass up such easy pickings, but I dont want to load up on something that is useless.
> 
> ...



Here's my thought: burn a sh_tload of them branches and report back to us how it went.


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## KeepItNatural (Oct 20, 2009)

I'd say just take them.  Even if they aren't "ideal", they're free... which, actually is ideal.
If you're not getting wonderful burn times out of it, mix them in with some better burning stuff, or as other people have suggested just use it during the shoulder seasons or in a pinch or what-have-you.
But, my departing words are to just take it all.


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## myzamboni (Oct 20, 2009)

mix it with your other wood.  It doesn't throw a ton of heat, but the glowing coals are a nice sight.


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## Birdman1 (Oct 20, 2009)

rsgBJJfighter said:
			
		

> I'd say just take them.  Even if they aren't "ideal", they're free... which, actually is ideal.
> If you're not getting wonderful burn times out of it, mix them in with some better burning stuff, or as other people have suggested just use it during the shoulder seasons or in a pinch or what-have-you.
> But, my departing words are to just take it all.



+1
Take it all


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## efoyt (Oct 20, 2009)

The guy next door planted a Sequoia two years ago.  They grow fast, I think i't over 6 feet and it was started as a 1 footer.  Maybe in 75 years I can get some free branchs  He burns but I don't think he burns pine.


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## basswidow (Oct 20, 2009)

I've been to the Gen Sherman in Sequoia National Forest.  Being from the east,  it's an incredible site - it was growing before Jesus.  If you have these outside your office window - consider your view blessed.  I would think a fallen sequoia would be far more valuable as lumber then firewood.  

I would most definately burn those branches.


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## WoodPorn (Oct 20, 2009)

'Ya think anyone has ever tried to grow those suckers out here on the East Coast?


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## prajna101 (Oct 20, 2009)

basswidow said:
			
		

> If you have these outside your office window - consider your view blessed.
> .




My view is blessed, especially in the spring on warm days.  My campus has a very flexible policy regarding the option to wear clothes!  Besides that, there is free firewood everywhere, but often from trees I don't have experience with.  This place is like an arboretum.  Here is a campus tree list:

Alaska-cedar
Alder, Red
American Basswood
American Sweetgum
Apple
Ash
Bald Cypress
Basswood
Beech
Birch
Black Locust
California Bay
Carolina Silverbell
Castor Aralia
Caucasian Wingnut
Cedar
Cherry
Chinese Elm
Chinese Photinia
Crabapple
Dawn Redwood
Deerhorn Cedar
Dogwood
Douglas-fir
Elm
Empress Tree
English Holly
Fir
Giant Sequoia
Ginkgo
Hawthorn
Hemlock
Himalayan Birch
Holly, English
Honeylocust, Thornless
Horsechestnut
Incense-cedar
Japanese Snowbell
Japanese Stewartia
Japanese Zelkova
Katsura
Lime
Linden
Locust, Black
London Plane Tree
Magnolia
Maidenhair Tree
Maple
Monkey Puzzle
Mountain Ash    
Oak
Oregon Myrtle    
Pear
Persian Parrotia
Photinia, Chinese
Pine
Plane Tree
Plum
Poplar
Port-Orford-cedar
Red Alder
Redwood, Coast
Redwood, Dawn
Sequoia, Giant
Snowbell, Japanese
Spruce
Stewartia, Japanese
Sweetgum, American
Sycamore
Thornless Honeylocust
Tulip Tree
Walnut
Western Redcedar
Willow
Wingnut, Caucasian
Yellowwood
Zelkova, Japanese


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## WoodPorn (Oct 20, 2009)

That's all?


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## basswidow (Oct 20, 2009)

clothing optional????   This a work or school enviroment?  I wouldn't be getting much accomplished under these conditions.


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## Tony H (Oct 20, 2009)

TriTodd said:
			
		

> basswidow said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



"option to wear clothes!" and you're looking at trees ?


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## prajna101 (Oct 20, 2009)

The sad reality is, generally if clothing is optional, the naked people are not the ones you really want to see naked.  But there are some days. . .   It was really interesting in the interview to get the job they asked about nudity.  Coming from a government job, I was shocked.  But my answer was something like, "as long as they dont sit in my office chair, I don't care."  There is not a ton of nudity here, but that nice sunny first day in spring brings them out.  

Golly there has to be a joke in here about getting wood on campus.  


t


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## efoyt (Oct 20, 2009)

Werm said:
			
		

> 'Ya think anyone has ever tried to grow those suckers out here on the East Coast?



As I said before the guy next door is growing one.  In maine.  It has been going strong for two years. He is a state biologest so I would think he would know if it was somthing that would grow here.


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## heppm01 (Oct 21, 2009)

TriTodd said:
			
		

> Here is a campus tree list:
> 
> ...
> Caucasian Wingnut
> ...


C'mon, you made this one up! Sounds like a neo-Nazi holed up in a bell tower...


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## prajna101 (Oct 21, 2009)

heppm01 said:
			
		

> TriTodd said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Nope.  It's for real.  However, I did have it as a joke on my facebook page once.  


t


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## basswidow (Oct 22, 2009)

I guess the strangeness of the west coast travels from California on up..... 

Interesting about the Sequoia's, but the work environment is flat out strange. Nice place to visit - but I don't think I could live out there on the left coast.


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## myzamboni (Oct 22, 2009)

basswidow said:
			
		

> I guess the strangeness of the west coast travels from California on up.....
> 
> Interesting about the Sequoia's, but the work environment is flat out strange. Nice place to visit - but I don't think I could live out there on the left coast.



Not quite.  Oregon has its own unique strangeness.


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## prajna101 (Oct 22, 2009)

basswidow said:
			
		

> Nice place to visit - but I don't think I could live out there on the left coast.



Yeah Oregon is strange.  But on behalf of everyone living in the west, we appreciate you staying where you are.   I used to live in Idaho (60% public lands) and I would wander around the mountains and forests and think, "boy it sure is nice for all that population on the east coast to pay their taxes and buy me such a wonderful backyard to play in."  

As an update.  I fired up the sequoia last night.  Burns hot and fast.  But once the blaze dies down it has big coals.  I think the coal bed is mostly because I am burning such small pieces that they go all at once.  If it were a split, I think it would be very much like fir.  I kind of expected more popping and cracking like cedar, but it was pretty quiet.  I think there is about 2 cords there.  I am going to use some of the branches to make a box type rack for about a cord worth.  Then put the pieces in there.  the box will be nice looking and I will use this wood while I am able to tend the fire more.   I will put something bigger and harder on for the long burns.  I think two cords of this stuff is going to go pretty fast. 

Oh, It smells really nice too.  Woody, clean, fresh.  But not heavy fresh like pine, and not purfumish like cedar.  Just pleasant.  

t


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## basswidow (Oct 23, 2009)

You know I'm only kidding about the left coast.

I spent some time in Wyoming and I agree with your sentiments to keep things the way they are - without large populations moving into these natural areas.  

That's good news on the burn.  Sounds like you have a nice source of firewood.


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## Nonprophet (Oct 23, 2009)

Oregon sucks.  Really.  I hate it here.  I wish I could move back east.  It rains all the time and there's no jobs.  Oregon sucks.  Really.


NP


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## prajna101 (Oct 23, 2009)

Nonprophet said:
			
		

> Oregon sucks.  Really.  I hate it here.  I wish I could move back east.  It rains all the time and there's no jobs.  Oregon sucks.  Really.
> 
> 
> NP




Perfect.  Keep telling them that!  They are right you know.  Oregon sucks.  What ever you do, don't come here.  The weather and job market are far better in Michigan.  You can move there if you like.  

Todd


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