Exploding Wood???

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Mr.Hardwoods

New Member
Dec 29, 2012
20
Central Michigan (Fenton)
This past January I cut and split some dead ash that the bark was falling off of while splitting. This past Wednesday I decided to use some of it to make a small fire out back. Started up famously and was burning nice. About a half an hour into it one of the splits that was roughly six inches (medium) exploded like it was a firecracker. It was very loud and threw coals over ten feet away (scared the wife pretty good). Thinking it was a fluke I kept the fire going. Withing fifteen minutes it happened again. I decided it was time to put it out so out came the hose. As I was putting it out it did it again (a total of three times). My question is what made this happen and what can I do to prevent it. Yes it is Ash. I am semi new to splitting my own wood (only about a year) so not sure what happened, but I grew up in the woods and know my forest and the woods within it. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Water in the wood turning to steam very quickly will cause that reaction.
 
Thanks everyone. This is what I thought was the case but thought the wood was dryer than that since it was dead when cut and then split and stacked in the sun and wind for seven months. Live and learn.
 
I've cut and burned many, many ash trees live and dead. Never have I heard of this happening before. I even have burned some ash that has laid in water for long periods of time. No problems with it.

Curious if you split any of those after you got them out of the fire and if so, what did you find?
 
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