The change from burning forests to burning wood is coming fast – and while we use a lot of firewood, we rarely look at just how much heat each species produces, or at how much a cord weighs. This chart, from the California Energy Commission, ranks production by species, and shows the weight of a cord. At 3,321 pounds for a cord of dry Western Larch, it takes a pretty good pickup to carry a cord.
Western Softwoods Figures from California Energy Commission BTU Rating Based on 90 cubic feet of solid wood per 128 cubic foot cord
| Species | Heat Content (BTU’s per Cord) | Weight Green (lbs per Cord) | Weight Dry (lbs per Cord) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Larch (Tamarack) | 28.7 | 5454 | 3321 |
| Douglas Fir | 26.5 | 5050 | 3075 |
| Western Juniper | 26.4 | 5410 | 3050 |
| Western Hemlock | 24.4 | 5730 | 2830 |
| Lodgepole Pine | 22.3 | 4270 | 2580 |
| Ponderosa Pine | 21.7 | 4270 | 2520 |
| Sitka Spruce | 21.7 | 4100 | 2520 |
| Red Fir | 20.6 | 4040 | 2400 |
| White Fir | 21.1 | 3190 | 2400 |
| Grand Fir | 20.1 | 3880 | 2330 |
Trego's Mountain Ear 