A shed inside Mirror Lake State Park offers bundles of local firewood for sale. All staffed State Parks with campgrounds offer firewood for sale. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg;
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Are you generally hesitant to give hitchhikers a free ride?

October is National Firewood Awareness Month, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) urges state residents and visitors to follow the same line of thinking when it comes to moving firewood.

That’s because tree-killing hitchhikers often lurk on or inside firewood. These include the spongy moth, emerald ash borer, the fungus that causes oak wilt and many other invasive insects and fungi.

Simply put, your firewood choices are important, and with good practice, you can help slow the spread of these tree-killing pests and diseases.

A log at Kettle Moraine State Park – Southern Unit carries two spongy moth egg masses. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR

When untreated firewood is transported away from the tree where it was harvested, those pests and fungi can later emerge to attack trees at the new location. This can happen whether that new location is in the next town or hundreds of miles away.

This fall, the risk of spreading spongy moth on firewood remains high. Although infestation rates in 2024 were not as high as the record-setting summer of 2023, many areas in the state still saw high caterpillar numbers. That means increased numbers of egg masses and an elevated risk of spreading those egg masses to less-infested areas through firewood.

Wisconsin has laws to help prevent the movement of spongy moth, focusing on the risk posed by firewood.

• A state spongy moth quarantine prohibits the movement of firewood and other products that can carry spongy moth eggs to counties on and near Wisconsin’s western border or other states where the pest is not established.
• Uncertified firewood from more than 10 miles away is prohibited from entering state parks, state forests or other DNR properties. The DNR’s Firewood Rules and Resources webpage explains firewood regulations.
• County, federal and private campgrounds may have similar firewood restrictions. If moving firewood to or through tribal properties in Wisconsin, contact the tribe and follow its policy on allowable firewood.

The Don’t Move Firewood website urges people to “buy local, burn local.” That means purchasing firewood for your camping trip on-site instead of bringing it from home or picking it up along the way. It’s also strongly recommended that campers leave any unused firewood behind. It’s not worth bringing a pest home to infest your property.

The same guidelines stand for those who use wood to heat their cabin or home. Closer is better. You don’t want to put the trees on your property at risk from hitchhiking insects or fungi.

However, firewood that has been treatment-certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is safe and legal to take anywhere in the state.

All staffed state parks and forests with campgrounds offer local firewood for sale, and firewood is often available for purchase privately nearby. To find local firewood sellers and vendors of certified firewood, visit the Firewood Scout website.