Is wood from a beetle-killed tree safe to burn or move?

Burning it

Wood from a standing dead pine can be dry enough to burn. The caution is rot. The EPA says not to burn wet, rotted, diseased or moldy wood, and a pine that has been dead for years may be punky inside. Test it with a moisture meter, as the EPA suggests, and burn dry wood only.

See bark beetles in pines for how the infestation works and removing dead pines for what the arborist checks.

Moving it

The Don't Move Firewood campaign's advice is to buy firewood where you will burn it, and to use certified heat-treated wood if it must travel. Out-of-state uncertified firewood is restricted in Nevada, and the campaign lists the state's rules. We have not quoted any distance limit for in-state moves, because we did not find one.

If you plan to haul beetle-killed wood across a county line, to a cabin or off the mountain, ask the Nevada Division of Forestry or the Nevada Department of Agriculture first. They decide.

What we do with it

When a crew removes a beetle-killed pine, the wood and brush can stay, be cut or hauled away, depending on what you tell the arborist at the estimate. We do not promise a disposal method until we have seen the tree. Keep any stack away from the house, 30 feet at least, as the UNR Extension guide advises.

Our own firewood is a separate offering, with no published species or terms. Call 775.232.8243. For the rules on moving wood, read don't move firewood: the Nevada rules.

A safe habit is to burn wood close to where it was cut and to avoid carrying it to a different county or out of the region. If you are unsure about a particular load, ask the Nevada Department of Agriculture or the Division of Forestry before you move it.