Overview

• Marking Firewood Month, agencies urge people to buy wood where they burn it—typically within 50 miles—with Wisconsin reminding residents not to move uncertified wood across county lines.
• In a DNR review of 1,045 pieces of publicly transported firewood, 23% contained live borers and another 41% showed evidence of past infestation.
• Only certified, heat-treated firewood is considered safe for longer trips, and unused pieces should be left behind rather than taken to a new location.
• Wisconsin lists certification methods such as kiln drying, debarking, seasoning, and chipping or small splitting to reduce risk and qualify for labeling.
• Officials warn that hidden insects and pathogens—including emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, adelgids, spongy moth egg masses, and fungi—can hitchhike in or on firewood and trigger new infestations.