Colorado Beetle Kill

[Grinnell]

A question for those burning Colorado beetle kill pine.


I'm near Estes Park at 7100 feet. We have a small number of dead pines some of which have been there for 2-3 year according to the previous owner ( we bought in summer of 2011).


I am cutting down the dead trees for fire wood and wondered if anyone had an idea of how dry they might be based on your experiences with this wood. I dont have a moisture reader but it seems dry except for a section at the base on one large tree that smelled piney.

I'm trying to get a few years ahead on the wood. We don't burn much as its a second home.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

k

 

[gmule]

This is all I have been burning. It is pretty much good to go at this point except for maybe the last couple of feet at the base depending on the size of the trunk. If you cut it and split it now anything that my be a little wet will be ready to burn next season.

 

[Grinnell]

Thanks thats what i have been surmising

 

[Wood Duck]

I am far from Colorado but I bet it will be plenty dry by fall if you cut, split, and stack it now. Very dry air out west, and even here in the humid east it would season pretty well. Even live pine cut, split, and stacked now should be fine by fall in Colorado.