Heading to Maine? Buy local or heat-treated firewood to comply with state rules

PORTLAND (WGME) — Campfire season is upon us, and many people might not think twice about transporting firewood from state to state.

But it’s important to remember that it’s illegal to bring out-of-state firewood into Maine, unless it’s properly treated.

“Whether it’s processed firewood or log-length firewood, if its purpose is to be used for firewood and it’s coming from out of state, then it needs to be heat-treated. Heat treatment means that the firewood would have reached a core temperature of at least 160 degrees for at least 75 minutes,” Maine Forest Service State Entomologist Allison Kanoti said.

Facilities that offer heat-treated firewood need a permit.

That permit then travels with the wood for proof that it was properly treated.

There is a ban on transporting out-of-state firewood into Maine to help slow the spread of invasive pests.

“Heat treating will kill things like insects, nematodes, fungus, bacteria that can travel in and on firewood and cause harm to our environment,” Kanoti said.

As of now, there is no county-to-county ban on transporting firewood, but there are quarantines in place to keep organisms from spreading.

“They are pest-based quarantines, so they focus on individual organisms. They are the emerald ash borer quarantine, which regulates the movement of hardwood firewood. Also, the European Larch Canker quarantine regulates the movement of any larch,” Kanoti said.

There is a ban on transporting out-of-state firewood into Maine to help slow the spread of invasive pests.

Examples of larch wood are conifers as well as tamarack.

And since the state-to-state ban was issued, Maine’s trees may be reaping the benefits.

“We do have some evidence that it is slowing the spread of these potentially dangerous organisms. But really, we just need everybody to make the right decisions regardless of the rules, and that is to use the local firewood,” Kanoti said.

There is a ban on transporting out-of-state firewood into Maine to help slow the spread of invasive pests.

Here you can learn more about the ban or the quarantines in place.