Ag Department urges caution when buying firewood

Fall is here and winter is coming. Temperatures are going up and down, but the home heating season has begun. This means people are turning to firewood as a source of heat.

Unfortunately, consumers who are unaware of the laws and regulations governing the sale of firewood often find that their purchase does not measure up. The Delaware Department of Agriculture  Weights and Measures Section cautions consumers to make sure fuel wood deliveries stack up properly.

Consumers need to remember when purchasing firewood that it has to be sold by the cord or fraction of a cord. It is a national and state law. A cord is a volumetric measurement - a very definite unit of measurement. Nothing else is legal. The terms truckload, face cord, rack, or pile are not legitimate terms because they have no legally defined meaning. Consumers who buy wood on these terms have absolutely no way of determining how much firewood they have actually purchased.

A cord is 128 cubic feet of compactly stacked wood in a rectangular form.  The stack is often eight feet in length, four in width and four in height, but it can also be stacked in shorter or longer dimensions as long as the total measurement is 128 cubic feet.

The only way sure way to know that a quantity of wood is actually a cord is to stack the wood before burning. Consumers can do it themselves or have the delivery person do it.

Buyers must also make sure they receive a written receipt for the firewood delivery that includes the seller's name, address, telephone number, quantity of delivery, and date of delivery.  Buyers who are requesting a specific kind of wood, e.g., oak, maple, apple, etc., should be sure the receipt includes the following information as well: species, condition, and origin of the wood.

Steve Connors, administrator of the DDA Weights and Measures Section, says, “A majority of wood sellers are fair and honest - especially those who have been in the business for a long time. But unfortunately, there are always some who are trying to make a quick dollar by taking advantage of the unsuspecting. If you are buying from someone you've never dealt with before, it requires a little higher level of alertness on your part. If you think you have been shortchanged, call the seller before you burn any of the wood. If you don’t receive satisfaction, contact the Delaware Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures Section at 800-282-8685.”

The Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries section has increased surveillance of firewood sales due to the newly documented presence of invasive boring insects in neighboring states.   Firewood has proven to be the pathway for interstate spread of these destructive pests. Without precautions, infected firewood could be the pathway for these pests to enter Delaware.

Many of the invasive species go right on living inside dead wood, even small pieces of wood. They can escape into the environment and decimate local trees and forests.

When concerned about infestation, consumers should ask the seller where the firewood came from. Firewood from outside the state must be kiln dried or heat treated. If the wood is not local or does not come with certification of treatment, do not purchase it. When in doubt, call the Plant Industries section of the Department of Agriculture, 302-698-4500.

The DDA advises consumers to buy local and not import firewood into Delaware.