What kind of wood burns like POPCORN?

[derecskey]

I'll bet I know what it was. You said it was light wood, that sure is not Locust. It was its relative Sassafras, nothing pops and throughs sparks like Sassafras and it is as light as a feather.

+100

Sassafras all the way.

 

[derecskey]

BTW, sassafras is like pine. Some people wont' even touch it, but I like to mix it in to get the fire roaring or to burn down coals. Gets hot fast.

 

[Gunks]

Pine (bone dry 2 x 4s) pops like firework.

 

[firefighterjake]

I tossed in a light wide and thin interior split, and it went off like popcorn. I was taking my time putting the screen on (trying to get these coals roaring again), and every couple seconds I had to stop to clean up the coals that were shooting out everywhere.

Just wondering if this was due to the dryness or species of the wood.

As you can see from the many replies here, this wood could be many, many different species.

I believe you'll find that generally wood that tends to pop like this and give you a free 4th of July display in your firebox typically is a softwood . . . this may be due to the resin found in these species. Wood that I burn that often snaps, crackles and pops (better than Rice Krispies) often is eastern white cedar, spruce and pine . . . but as others have mentioned there are many other wood species that will do the same thing.

 

[polaris]

Black Walnut gets going pretty good as well, especially when first put on a hot bed of coals.
Joe