Cedar Firewood: The Complete Guide to Burning Cedar

Updated March 2026 — Written by the crew at DoubleTree Forest Products, who've been harvesting and processing incense cedar since 2006.

Cedar firewood doesn't get the respect it deserves. Walk into any firewood forum and you'll hear the same thing: "hardwood only." Oak, hickory, maple — the usual suspects.

But here's what 20 years of working with cedar has taught us: for fire pits, outdoor fireplaces, and casual backyard fires, cedar is the best wood you can burn. Period.

Why Cedar Firewood Is Different

Cedar is a softwood, and yes, that matters. But "softwood" doesn't mean "bad firewood." It means cedar burns differently than hardwood — and for most people's actual use case, it burns better.

It Lights Instantly

Cedar catches fire with a single match. No lighter fluid. No newspaper wads. No 20 minutes of blowing on embers hoping something catches. You stack it, light it, and you're sitting by a fire in under two minutes.

Try that with a stack of seasoned oak. You'll be out there with a blowtorch.

It Smells Incredible

This is the thing nobody talks about with hardwood. Oak smells like... burning wood. Fine. Cedar smells like walking through a mountain forest. The aromatic oils in incense cedar produce a warm, sweet, unmistakable scent that your neighbors will ask about.

We've had customers tell us their entire neighborhood comments when they light a fire. That doesn't happen with oak.

It Burns Clean

Good, dry cedar produces less smoke than most hardwoods. Less ash, too. You're not shoveling out half a bucket of grey powder the next morning. And because it burns at a lower temperature, it's gentler on fire pit liners and outdoor fireplace finishes.

Cedar vs. Hardwood: The Real Comparison

	Incense Cedar	Oak / Hardwood
Light time	Under 2 minutes	10-20 minutes
Aroma	Rich, sweet cedar scent	Mild wood smoke
Smoke	Low (when dry)	Moderate
Ash	Minimal	Heavy
Burn time	1-2 hours per load	3-5 hours per load
Sparks	Occasional small pops	Minimal
Best for	Fire pits, outdoor fires, ambiance	Heating, long overnight burns
Bug repellent	Yes — natural insect repellent	No

Here's the honest truth: if you're heating your house through a New England winter, you want hardwood. It burns longer and hotter.

But if you're sitting around a fire pit on a Friday night — which is what 90% of firewood buyers are actually doing — cedar is better in every way that matters. Easier to light, better smell, less mess, and it keeps the mosquitoes away while you're at it.

Is Cedar Safe to Burn?

Yes. There's a persistent myth that cedar is dangerous to burn because of creosote buildup. Let's clear this up:

All wood produces some creosote. Cedar doesn't produce more than other species when it's properly dried. The issue is burning wet wood of any kind in an enclosed space like an indoor fireplace. Wet wood = more smoke = more creosote.

Our cedar firewood is air-dried and ready to burn. In an outdoor fire pit or open fireplace, creosote isn't a concern at all.

Cedar Kindling: The Secret Weapon

Even if you prefer hardwood for your main fire, cedar kindling is a game-changer. A handful of cedar kindling sticks will get any fire going — hardwood, charcoal, you name it — without lighter fluid or fire starters.

This is what professional pit masters and outdoor cooking enthusiasts use. Cedar kindling lights the hardwood. The hardwood does the heavy lifting. Best of both worlds.

Best Fire Pits for Cedar

Cedar works beautifully in any fire pit, but it really shines in smokeless designs like Solo Stove and Breeo. The secondary combustion burns off the smoke and intensifies the cedar aroma. It's genuinely the best combination we've found.

Standard stone fire pits, chimineas, and outdoor fireplaces all work great too. The only place we'd recommend caution is tightly enclosed indoor wood stoves — use hardwood there for longer, hotter burns.

How to Store Cedar Firewood

• Keep it covered on top but open on the sides for air circulation
• Stack it off the ground on a pallet or firewood rack
• Store it outside — the natural cedar oils make it resistant to insects and decay
• Don't wrap it in plastic — cedar needs airflow to stay dry

Properly stored cedar firewood will last years without degrading. The oils that make it smell amazing also preserve it naturally.

Where We Get Our Cedar

Our incense cedar comes from forest management operations in the mountains of the western United States. We only harvest dead standing and downed trees — living trees are never cut. This thinning work actually reduces wildfire risk by removing fuel loads from overstocked forests.

Every box of cedar firewood you buy supports healthy forests. That's not marketing — it's literally what we do for a living.