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The Complete Firewood Guide for Melbourne Wood Fireplaces — Choosing, Storing, Cooking
The Complete Firewood Guide for Melbourne Wood Fireplaces — Choosing, Storing, Cooking — a Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting plain-English guide to firewood guide melbourne for Melbourne homeowners. Below we cover what works, what doesn't, and when to call a licensed plumber.
Quick answer: For a Melbourne wood fireplace, dense hardwoods (red gum, ironbark, yellow box) seasoned for at least 6-12 months to under 20% moisture content burn cleaner, hotter, and longer than softwoods. Never burn: green/wet wood, treated/painted wood, MDF, particleboard, plywood, driftwood, glossy magazines, or anything pressure-treated — they release toxic chemicals or generate dangerous creosote build-up. Store firewood off the ground, under cover, with airflow — at least 30cm from the house exterior. Cooking over a wood fire is safe and adds genuine smoky flavour, but only with seasoned hardwood and good ventilation. If your firewood smokes heavily, hisses, or refuses to ignite cleanly, the wood is wet — that's the most common cause of every fireplace problem we see in Melbourne homes.
Why firewood quality matters more than fireplace quality
Most Melbourne homeowners with a wood fireplace blame the appliance when the fire smokes, struggles, or burns through wood too fast. Eight times out of ten, it's the firewood — not the fireplace.
A high-quality EPA-rated wood heater burning wet softwood will smoke, deposit creosote in the flue, throw off less heat, and use twice as much wood as the same heater burning seasoned hardwood. A basic open fireplace with properly seasoned ironbark will outperform a high-end EPA appliance with damp green wood every single time.
This guide covers what to burn, what to avoid, how to store it so it stays burnable, and — for the curious — what's actually safe to cook over a wood fire.
Best firewood for Melbourne fireplaces
Hardwoods (recommended)
Dense, slow-burning, high-heat species. These are the workhorses of Melbourne wood fireplaces:
- Red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) — heaviest local hardwood. Burns hot, holds coals overnight, slowly releases heat. Premium price, premium results. The benchmark for Australian firewood.
- Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra and E. paniculata) — extremely dense. Burns slow and hot. Excellent for overnight fires. Sometimes harder to ignite than red gum but holds heat longer.
- Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) — high-heat, clean-burning. Common in Victorian fireplaces. Easier to split than red gum.
- Grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) — similar to yellow box, slightly lower heat output but burns very cleanly.
- Stringybark (multiple Eucalyptus species) — easier to ignite than red gum or ironbark. Good "starter" hardwood. Burns slightly faster but still respectable.
A good Melbourne firewood mix is roughly 70% red gum or ironbark for the bulk of the heat, 20-30% stringybark or yellow box for easy starts, and 10% softer kindling species (see below) for getting the fire going each time.
Softwoods (kindling only)
Avoid burning these as the main fuel — they deposit more creosote and burn fast and hot in short bursts. They're useful for getting a fire going:
- Pine (radiata, oregon, Douglas fir) — burns fast, hot, with high resin content. Good kindling, terrible bulk fuel.
- Cypress — similar to pine, burns hot and fast.
- Cedar — pleasant scent but burns very fast.
If your firewood supplier delivers a load that's mostly pine or "mixed" without specifying species, you've been sold low-quality fuel for hardwood prices. Reputable Melbourne suppliers price red gum / ironbark at a premium and clearly label species.
Buying firewood — what to look for
When the truck pulls up, check before you accept the load:
- Cut size matches your fireplace — most fireplaces want 30-40cm logs. Some inserts are smaller. Specify when ordering.
- Heft and density — pick up a few pieces. Hardwood feels noticeably heavier than the same volume of softwood.
- End-grain check — split ends should look dry, with visible cracks radiating from the centre. A wet, fresh-cut log will look pale and wet on the end-grain.
- Sound test — knock two pieces together. Seasoned wood produces a clear "knock"; wet wood thuds dully.
- Bark integrity — well-seasoned wood often has loose, peeling bark. Tight, fresh bark suggests recent cutting.
- Insect activity — small holes are fine in old wood, but visible live activity is a problem (don't bring it inside).
If a load fails any of these checks, refuse delivery or negotiate a discount. A good supplier expects this.
What wood NOT to burn (the dangerous list)
Some woods can release toxic gases, deposit dangerous creosote, or damage your fireplace and chimney. The hard "no" list:
Green or wet wood
The single biggest mistake. Wood with moisture content above ~25% won't burn cleanly. Symptoms:
- Heavy smoke from the flue
- Hissing and bubbling at the cut ends
- Difficulty igniting / repeatedly going out
- Black soot building up on the stove glass within hours
- Heavy creosote deposits in the flue (fire risk)
Fresh-cut wood needs 6-12 months of seasoning before it's safe to burn. More on storage below.
Treated or painted wood
Pressure-treated lumber, painted timber, varnished or stained wood, anything from old furniture or decking — these release toxic chemicals when burned. Pressure-treated wood specifically contains arsenic and copper compounds that are dangerous to inhale even in small amounts and can damage your flue lining.
Engineered woods
MDF, particleboard, plywood, OSB, laminate flooring, and any composite wood product contain formaldehyde and other adhesives. These produce noxious smoke and toxic fumes. Never burn.
Driftwood
Salt-soaked driftwood burns with pretty colours but releases hydrochloric acid and other corrosive compounds that destroy flue liners and steel components.
Glossy paper, magazines, milk cartons, gift wrap
The inks and coatings on glossy print release toxic compounds. Plain newsprint is OK as kindling; glossy or coated paper is not.
Christmas trees
A live or recently-felled pine tree is full of resins and burns dangerously hot and fast. Once dried for a year+ it becomes acceptable kindling, but never burn a recently-shed Christmas tree.
Poison oak / poison ivy / oleander
Some toxic plants retain their irritants in the smoke. Australian-relevant: oleander leaves and stems are highly toxic — never burn yard waste that contains them.
Anything you're not sure about
The default answer for unknown wood is "don't burn it". The risk is asphyxiation in your own home from carbon monoxide or chemical inhalation, and tens of thousands of dollars in property damage from a flue fire.
Seasoning and storing firewood
Fresh-cut hardwood typically arrives at your house at 50-70% moisture content. To burn cleanly, you need to get it under 20%. That's the seasoning process — and it depends entirely on three things: time, airflow, and protection from rain.
How long firewood needs to season
- Hardwood (red gum, ironbark, yellow box): 12 months minimum, ideally 18-24 months. Dense wood dries slowly.
- Stringybark and softer hardwood: 9-12 months
- Softwoods (pine, cypress): 6-9 months
If your supplier delivers "seasoned" firewood and you can hear it hiss or see steam when you put it on a fire, it wasn't actually seasoned. Quality suppliers will let you check moisture with a meter on delivery.
Storage rules
- Off the ground — pallets, treated timbers, or a dedicated firewood rack. Wood touching wet ground absorbs moisture and stays wet indefinitely.
- Under cover — a roof, tarp, or open shed. Direct rain gets the surface wet repeatedly, slowing the drying process.
- Airflow on all sides — don't stack against a solid wall. The back layer needs ventilation as much as the front. A gap of 5-10cm between the wood and any wall is enough.
- At least 30cm from the house — termites, mice, and other pests move from woodpiles into homes. Keep distance.
- Cross-stacked or single-row — narrow stacks dry faster than dense pyramids. Single-row stacks are ideal but space-inefficient. Cross-stacked layers (each layer perpendicular to the one below) is a good compromise.
- South-facing or sun-exposed — in Melbourne, north-facing storage in winter sun helps. South-facing in summer also works (more wind and less direct sun, both help drying).
- Cover only the top — fully wrapping a tarp around a stack traps moisture. Cover the top so rain doesn't fall directly, but leave the sides exposed for airflow.
A moisture meter is worth $30
A pin-type moisture meter ($20-$50 from Bunnings) gives you a reliable reading of how dry your firewood is. Push the pins into a freshly split face — under 20% is good, 15-18% is excellent, above 25% is too wet to burn cleanly.
If you've got firewood on hand and you're not sure how dry it is, a meter takes the guesswork out.
Book a fireplace inspection or installation
Call 0475 407 670 or send through the contact form. For wood fireplaces we can inspect, service, or install. For gas fireplaces add a Type A Gasfitter — included on every gas job.
- BPC #103414 — Plumbing Industry Commission licensed
- Type A Gasfitter — registered with Energy Safe Victoria
- Master Plumbers Association — member
- 4.8 stars on Google
Cooking on a wood fireplace
This is the bonus topic. Cooking over a wood fire is one of the genuine pleasures of having a fireplace, and it's perfectly safe with the right precautions.
What's safe to cook
Pretty much anything you'd cook over coals on a barbecue:
- Vegetables — wrap in foil with butter and herbs, push into hot ashes for 20-30 minutes. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetroot, whole onions, capsicums, garlic.
- Meat — cast-iron skillet placed on a trivet over hot coals. Steaks, pork chops, fish (in foil), sausages.
- Damper / soda bread — Dutch oven buried in coals. Classic Australian campfire bread.
- Marshmallows / smores — long skewers over the embers. Family-friendly.
- Mulled wine — small cast-iron pot near the heat (not directly on flames).
What you need
- Cast-iron cookware — never use aluminium near direct flame; aluminium melts and warps. Cast iron is the only safe metal for direct fire cooking.
- A trivet or tripod — to suspend pots above the embers rather than directly in flame. Available at camping stores from $30-$80.
- Long-handled tools — fire-rated tongs, gloves, and skewers. Don't use kitchen tongs that aren't rated for flame.
- A flat shovel or peel — to move coals around for indirect cooking.
What NOT to cook on a wood fire
- Anything in plastic, including plastic-wrapped foods — chemicals leach into food at high heat.
- Greasy meats above flames — fat dripping onto fire creates flare-ups that scorch food and can throw embers.
- Pre-marinated supermarket meats — many marinades contain sugars that burn quickly and produce acrid smoke.
Wood choice for cooking
Always seasoned hardwood — red gum and ironbark for sustained heat, fruit woods (apple, pear, cherry — if you can find them) for delicate smoky flavours. Never softwood for cooking — pine resins create acrid smoke that's both unpleasant and harmful. Never any of the "do not burn" woods above when food is going in.
Ventilation and safety
If you're cooking over a fireplace fire (not an outdoor fire pit), make sure:
- The flue is fully open and drawing properly
- A working CO alarm is in the room
- The fire is established and burning cleanly with low smoke before you start
Cooking with a smoky fire pumps carbon monoxide into the room. We've covered this in detail in our wood fireplace maintenance guide — if you don't have a working CO alarm, install one before you cook.
Service area
Prime Plumbing & Gasfitting installs and services wood and gas fireplaces across Melbourne's eastern, south-eastern, inner-east, and bayside suburbs. See all suburbs we service →
When to call a licensed plumber or fireplace specialist
Firewood quality is mostly a homeowner skill, but some related issues do warrant a professional:
For installations and significant repairs, the Victorian Building Authority maintains a licence search to verify your installer.
Frequently asked questions
Depends on usage intensity. A casual user (a few fires a week, evenings only) gets through 1-2m³ of hardwood per Melbourne winter. Daily users with a high-output heater go through 4-6m³. Buy in late summer/autumn for the best prices and to give yourself seasoning time if needed.
A genuine "hardwood mix" from a reputable Melbourne supplier is fine — typically red gum, ironbark, and box species. Avoid loads labelled just "mixed" without species specifics, which often contain too much softwood.
Yes, if it's a hardwood species in good condition. Check council rules — some Melbourne councils require permits for tree removal even on your own land. And season it for at least 12 months before burning.
EPA-rated heaters are far more efficient — they extract more heat per kg of wood and burn more cleanly. They're more sensitive to wet wood (less efficient combustion makes the moisture problem worse). An open fireplace tolerates slightly wetter wood but uses 2-3× more for the same heat output. Either way, dry wood is essential.
Only if they're untreated and stamped HT (heat-treated). Pallets stamped MB (methyl bromide-treated) are toxic to burn. Many pallets are unmarked — assume treated and don't burn.
Plain newsprint, yes. Glossy supplements, magazines, advertising flyers, and wrapping paper — no, the inks and coatings release harmful compounds.
Visual: wet wood is pale at the cut ends; dry wood is darker with visible cracks. Sound: knock two pieces together — dry wood rings clearly, wet wood thuds. Weight: dry firewood feels noticeably lighter than wet wood of the same size. Burn test: dry wood ignites easily and burns with a steady flame; wet wood smokes, hisses, and goes out. A meter removes guesswork but you can learn to assess by feel.
Stack it in good drying conditions and wait. Unseasoned hardwood can take 6-18 months to dry depending on species and conditions. Don't burn it before then — you'll create more problems than the wood is worth, and you'll feed creosote into your flue.
Before You Book
A quick checklist to share with your plumber when you book:
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When did the issue start?
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Is it isolated to one fixture or multiple areas?
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Are there any visible leaks, smells or unusual sounds?
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Have you turned off the relevant isolation valve?
- Wood heater installation Melbourne — full installation including flue and compliance
- Gas fireplace installation Melbourne — gas-side equivalent for homeowners considering switching
- See also: Complete Wood Fireplace Maintenance Guide — cleaning, flue care, CO safety
- See also: Wood Fireplace Installation & Restoration Guide — installation choices, mantels, hearths, restoration
