Almost September and these guys aren't ready for Winter

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I'm seeing it now, more then ever, the price of oil has shot up and people are turning back to wood burning again here, yesterday morning I saw a lot of smoke plumes while going out on a fire call, also seeing lots of pickup's w/ trailers moving logs around, most of the stuff looks freshly cut to, this is more of a litmus test, peoples budgets are tight and they cannot afford the normal standards they're accustomed to.
My mom and dad are burning this year again to cut down on oil consumption, my mom had the stove & chimney cleaned out, my dad filled his wood rack in the garage, they'll be burning 6 yr old oak & maple, the oak is good, the maple seems like its on its last leg, but at least its dry stuff.
 
A few years back, a friend up the road called in January and said he really screwed up and only had green pine to burn. He said it just put out the fire when he tossed in a log. A few of us went up and trudged through knee deep snow to cut standing dead fir to get him through the rest of winter. I guess he didn't learn his lesson as I got call from him saying the guy he bought wood from last year isn't selling anymore so he's going to start dropping trees sometime next week. I just don't understand the mindset of people.
 
No doubt a lot of dangerous new installs will get done with the run up in fuel costs, which will lead to more housefires from the installs or storing ashes inside or on a flammable porch and finally families with their clothes on their backs on the news in front of the smoldering ruins of their house saying them lost everything in the fire.
 
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I’m on delay for delivery from my neighbor whom I buy wood from. Delayed on him delivering 6 month cut wood to many in the area for this heating season.
He knows mine is going to just be split and stacked in the shed and I’m ok with that. I have plenty.
 
I was talking to a friend yesterday, he paid almost $300 a ton for pellets, also burns wood in his stove, he was saying that he saw ad's on facebook market place selling a cord of seasoned wood for $350.00 - thats crazy and I can only imagine what we'll all see if the winter is cold and snowy, feel bad for some of these people.
 
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I just helped my dad stack the wood he got delivered last week. He waits until the last minute and then scrambles to find suppliers with any left. And has to dodge the constant lake effect rain to get it stacked. Every year. He can afford to get it any time he wants, can also afford to not use wood at all if he wanted.

Not me, I get my pellets in the summer when supplies are plentiful and fresh, and weather is good. And be done with it.
 
A bunch of the smaller firewood suppliers in our area went out of business which pushed customers to our biggest supplier in our county. This year Covid went through a bunch of the crew and the owner so after their seasoned wood was sold, some people received their firewood this July and September for that they'll burn this year.

One lady who received firewood in July stacked it and then top covered it, when I drove by the other day it was all put inside her basement. Another guy who ordered it in July received his order in mid September, it's all outside without a cover getting wet. He does have about two face cord of seasoned firewood but it will be a cold winter for him.
 
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Its strange but the closest local market to my place (Conway NH) has had consistently lower prices listed this fall than prior years although the lowest costs ads are quickly disappearing. The best deal is campfire wood place that sells kiln dried "seconds" which are short pieces 4" to 8" from their packaging line. $50 for quarter cord in a "big bag" on pallet set into a pickup or flatbed (no SUVs) . They also have other seconds which are 8 to 22" with a lot of non uniform knots. Same package but $80 a quarter cord. I bought some a few years back and they were one step away from being able to be lit with match. Definitely nice if someone has wood stove that hold coals overnight. Its just south of Conway in Ossipee NH.
 
I have a neighbor down the road from me who is the same way. He basically scrounges wood to burn all winter. But if you were to drive by his house that would not surprise you AT ALL.

I feel bad for him. And I have PLENTY of unsplit wood on my land and I have a tractor to move it around easily. I have been dropping off some logs over the last couple of week, hopefully it helps him out this winter. That being said I doubt they will be C/S/S any time soon.

I am in better shape wood wise than I have been in the last couple years, and that makes me happy!!
 
the only way people listen is either by experience or the wood deliverer telling them to burn it next season and we know that won't happen. if they can't get it started or don't get the warmth they should then they'll know. everyone around he asks me why do you have so much wood? and when i tell them about being 3 years ahead you can almost see it going in one ear and out the other
 
Triaxle load of firewood logs here went from $400 to $1200 this summer. Pulp mill will buy anything for $1200 so that’s what people have to pay if they want a load for fire wood.
 
The prices I listed are the going rate around here. I don't buy wood i cut my own. I work for the city here so I'm constantly in town and have noticed a lot of folks who don't normally have firewood outside do this year. Last year their were rolling blackouts from the ng shortage during that deep cold snap. That coupled with the propane prices has a lot of folks obviously re thinking their heating sources this winter. I will say that most folks I know around here haven't upgraded to the new epa stoves and still burn old dragons and go by the drop it that day burn that day rule. Not all but a good majority.