FIREWOOD NOW AVAILABLE IN SOME ILLINOIS FORESTS

There was a time in the not so distant past when people wouldn't admit to cutting firewood to help defray the winter's fuel bill. It's different now -- it's fashionable, everybody is doing it, and a lot of men have their own chain saws.

More and more Americans are utilizing their fireplaces and wood stoves, creating a big demand for firewood.

How about free firewood? It is sometimes available, and wood often is available almost for free in state forests.

"A $10 permit allows a person to collect a pickup truckload of firewood in the Trail of Tears State Park," says Brent Manning, director of the Illinois Department of Conservation.

Permits for wood in Trail of Tears State Forests near Jonesboro in Union County are available by contacting Andrew West, (618)-833-4910.

Wood is also available in three other Illinois areas: Hidden Springs State Forest in Shelby County; Big River Forest in Henderson County and Sand Ridge Forest in Mason County.

"Wood may taken from Trail of Tears Forests from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, Friday through Sunday.

"This is an excellent opportunity for the public to stock up with firewood for the winter," said Manning.

Firewood collection is allowed through Jan. 31 at Trail of Tears Forest. Collectors are not allowed to pick up firewood on national holidays or during the firearm and muzzle-loaders deer-hunting season.

"This is `down and dead' wood," said Manning. "A lot of it has already dried out, is well-seasoned and ready for burning."

A standard load will measure 8 feet by 4 feet and 20-inches high, said Manning.

Permits must be obtained for specific dates from the forestry office of the forest where the applicant intends to gather the firewood. The wood can be taken only from those areas of each site specified by the forest superintendent. Up to two permits can be issued to each collector each year.

"This is not wood for retail sales," said Manning. The wood must be for the collectors's personal use and collectors must provide their own equipment to cut and haul the firewood.

In past years Missourians could collect wood from various areas in Southeast Missouri.

"Right now we don't have a site which contains firewood," said a spokesman for the Perryville Forest District. "But people can contact district headquarters at (314)-547-4537 from time to time to see if some area has opened up."

With the fireplace-wood stove season here, The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers some tips on wood.

Wood is usually referred to as "green" or "seasoned."

When a tree is freshly cut, it is usually heavier and difficult to burn because of its moisture contest. When wood dries to about 20 percent moisture content, it is seasoned.

There is an easy way to determine if wood is green or seasoned, said Chimney Institute experts. They say to examine the cut end of a piece of wood that is about 8 inches in diameter. It should show radiating splits that are similar to the spokes on a wheel.

These cracks appear as the wood dries. If the cut end is tightly packed without cracks, the wood is green and is not good firewood.

The Chimney Institute also suggests hardwoods -- oak or hickory -- for better burning.

Hickory has an average weight of 6,500 pounds per cord. Oak, the most widely used firewood, weighs about 5,600 pounds per cord. Both produce good BTU content.

Starting a fire can be tricky. Experts say crumpled newspaper, kindling, good firewood and patience are the key to get a good fire going in a fireplace or wood stove.

Use only enough paper to ignite the kindling and sufficient kindling to be able to start the larger pieces of firewood. Skimping on kindling is one of the most common problems of starting a fire.