Spruce Firewood

Spruce is a light softwood common in the North, the Rockies and Alaska. It dries fast and lights easily, which makes it good kindling and shoulder-season wood, but it gives the least heat per cord of the common conifers.

Spruce firewood at a glance

Heat per cord: 15.9 million BTU
Weight per cord: 2,100 lb (air-dried)
Ease of splitting: ●●●●○ 4 of 5
Seasoning time: 6 months
Smoke: Moderate
Sparks: Many
Coals: Poor
Scent: Resinous
Type: Softwood
Common in (US): Alaska, Northern Rockies, Northeast, Great Lakes

Also called: White spruce, Black spruce, Engelmann spruceHeat and weight are typical published figures for air-dried wood at about 20% moisture. Real loads vary with moisture, growing conditions and how the cord is stacked. Compare all species.

Splitting spruce

Spruce splits easily, though knots are common.

Seasoning spruce

Spruce dries quickly, often within about 6 months of splitting.

Burning spruce

Dry spruce burns fast and hot and pops and sparks noticeably. It is better in a closed stove than an open fireplace.

Gear for spruce

Use spruce to get the stove up to temperature quickly, then add denser wood for longer burns.

Splitters and splitting tools

Chainsaws

Stoves, storage and moisture

Size the splitter for your spruce with the log splitter tonnage calculator, and see how many cords a winter takes with the firewood cord calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is spruce good firewood?

It is fine kindling and shoulder-season wood. It burns fast and gives less heat per cord than hardwood.

Does spruce spark?

Yes, it pops and sparks a lot. Use a screen or burn it in a closed stove.

How long does spruce take to dry?

About 6 months after splitting in good conditions.

Compare with similar woods

Pine (16.0 million BTU per cord), Cottonwood (15.8 million BTU per cord). Or see all 23 species side by side.