The Best Types Of Wood To Burn

The wood you choose for your heater matters more than most people realise. Burn the wrong firewood and you’ll get less heat, more smoke, and a flue caked in creosote – a tar-like residue that builds up inside the metal pipe venting smoke from your heater. Burn the right burnable wood and the difference is obvious: longer burn times, more warmth in the room, and a heater that runs the way it was designed to. 

Australia is a big country, and what’s stacked at your local firewood supplier in Perth looks nothing like what’s on offer in rural New South Wales. But no matter where you live, the best firewood shares the same qualities: it’s dense, it’s dry, and it’s hardwood. 

Hardwood vs softwood – why it matters

The single most important thing to understand about firewood is the difference between hardwood and softwood. 

Hardwoods – most Australian eucalyptus species fall into this category – are dense and heavy. They burn slower, produce more heat per kilogram, and leave a deep bed of long-lasting coals. That’s exactly what a combustion wood heater needs to work efficiently. 

Softwoods like pine and radiata are lighter. They catch fire quickly and burn fast, but they don’t hold heat the way hardwood does. They also produce more creosote, which builds up inside your flue over time and becomes a fire risk if left unchecked. Softwood is fine as kindling to get things started. But your main fuel should always be hardwood. 

The best burnable wood for Australian wood heaters

What’s available depends on your state and your supplier. A wood fire owner in Melbourne will likely be burning red gum or sugar gum. In Brisbane, it’s ironbark or box. In Perth, Jarrah and Wandoo dominate. The species differ, but the principle is the same: dense, well-seasoned Australian hardwood is what your heater was built to burn. 

Here’s how the most common species compare. 

 

Red gum is the most widely available firewood in Australia, sourced mainly from areas near the Murray-Darling river system. It burns hot and slow with strong radiant heat and a long-lasting coal bed. You won’t get tall, showy flames – but you’ll get hours of warmth. It can take a little longer to ignite, so pair it with kindling or a faster-burning species to get your fire established. 

 

Ironbark is one of the densest and highest-heat firewoods you can buy. It burns very slowly, making it a strong choice for keeping your wood fire going overnight without reloading. That density makes it harder to split, so buy it pre-split where possible. 

 

Sugar gum is widely available across South Australia and Victoria, mostly from plantations. It burns evenly with minimal smoke and is easier to split than red gum or ironbark. Despite what some older guides suggest, sugar gum is one of the most efficient firewood species in Australia – research from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries found it has a higher available heat value than red gum. If you can source it locally, it’s an excellent all-round choice. 

 

Box (grey box, yellow box) – ask an experienced wood heater owner which firewood they rate highest and there’s a fair chance they’ll say box. Dense hardwoods with outstanding heat output and excellent coaling properties, box species hold heat in the coal bed long after the flames die down. 

 

Jarrah is the go-to firewood in Western Australia. A clean-burning eucalyptus with minimal smoke and ash, it’s readily available in the Perth metro area and throughout the South West.

 

 

Wandoo (white gum) is denser and heavier than Jarrah, so it burns slower and hotter. A good approach in WA is to use Jarrah to get your fire established and then add Wandoo for sustained, long-burning heat. 

Other regional species – like brown peppermint in Tasmania, messmate in Victoria and Tasmania, or Karri in WA’s South West – are also used locally and burn well. Your firewood supplier will know what suits a combustion heater in your area. 

What you should never burn in a wood heater

Not everything that looks like wood is safe to burn. Some materials can damage your heater, your flue, and your health. 

Treated timber is the most serious risk. CCA-treated pine – the green-tinged timber used in fencing, decking, and outdoor structures – contains copper, chromium, and arsenic. When burned, it releases toxic fumes, and the resulting ash can contain more than 10% heavy metals by weight. The Victorian Department of Health and the NSW EPA are clear on this: never burn CCA-treated timber in a wood heater, fireplace, or barbecue. 

Painted or varnished wood releases toxic fumes too. MDF, particle board, and plywood all contain adhesive resins that produce harmful gases when heated. Driftwood is high in salt, which corrodes the firebox and flue lining over time. 

Green or unseasoned wood won’t poison you, but it’s still a poor choice. It produces more smoke, delivers far less heat, and speeds up creosote buildup in your flue. 

The simple rule: if it didn’t grow as a tree and hasn’t been properly dried, it doesn’t belong in your wood heater. That includes household rubbish, large quantities of cardboard, and glossy paper. 

How to tell if your firewood is ready to burn 

Seasoned firewood – wood that has been cut, split, and left to dry – should have a moisture content below 25%. The Australian Home Heating Association recommends a range of 12% to 20% for the best results: less smoke, more heat, and a cleaner burn. 

You can check without any special equipment. Properly dried firewood is noticeably lighter than freshly cut wood. The ends show visible cracks where moisture has left the grain. The colour fades from a fresh, pale tone to a dull grey. Bark loosens and starts to peel. And if you knock two dry pieces together, they produce a sharp, hollow sound rather than a dull thud. 

For a definitive answer, a moisture meter costs around $20 to $40 from most hardware stores. Split a piece in half and test the freshly exposed face – the surface always dries faster than the inside, so testing the split face gives you the real reading. 

If you’ve bought green firewood, it needs time. Split it, stack it with airflow, and allow at least six to twelve months of drying before burning. Denser species like ironbark and red gum may need longer. 

How to store firewood so it burns well 

Good storage is the difference between burnable wood that heats your home and firewood that smoulders and smokes. 

Stack your wood off the ground on a rack, pallets, or bearers. Cover the top – a tarp, sheet of roofing iron, or a simple lean-to will do – but leave the sides open. Airflow is what dries firewood. Sealing it up traps moisture inside. 

Keep your main woodpile away from the house. Firewood stacked against walls attracts termites. A smaller supply near the heater for convenience is fine, but the bulk of your stock should sit separately. 

Buy and stack your firewood in late spring or early summer. This gives it the full warm season to dry properly before you need it in winter. If you wait until April or May, suppliers are busier, prices tend to climb, and your wood may not be properly seasoned by the time the cold arrives. 

Matching firewood to your heater 

The type of wood heater you own affects which firewood works best. A smaller firebox suits lighter splits and faster-burning species. A larger combustion heater with good airflow control will get the most from dense, slow-burning hardwoods like ironbark, box, or red gum. 

Whether you’re burning sustainably sourced plantation sugar gum in the Goldfields or ironbark delivered from northern New South Wales, the combination of good firewood and a well-made heater is what keeps your home warm through winter. 

Ultimate Fires wood heaters are Australian-made and built to burn efficiently with Australian hardwoods. Visit one of our showrooms to see the range – with factory-direct pricing and a 10-year firebox warranty, you’re buying direct from the people who build them.