s ▁have ▁a ▁higher ▁potential ▁energy ▁content ▁than ▁all ▁soft wood s . ▁Wood ▁var ies ▁by ▁species ▁and ▁even ▁individual ▁trees ▁( a ▁tree ▁with ▁many ▁years ▁of ▁slow ▁growth ▁will ▁have ▁a ▁higher ▁B T U ▁content ▁than ▁a ▁tree ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁species ▁and ▁same ▁size ▁than ▁a ▁tree ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁of ▁rapid ▁growth ). ▁Os age ▁orange , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁h edge , ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁highest - B T U ▁wood ▁that ▁is ▁common ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁Many ▁soft wood s ▁will ▁season ▁( d ry ) ▁much ▁more ▁quickly ▁than ▁many ▁hard wood s . ▁For ▁example , ▁p ine ▁that ▁has ▁been ▁cut , ▁split , ▁stack ed ▁and ▁top cover ed ▁will ▁usually ▁be ▁ready ▁to ▁burn ▁in ▁one ▁year ; ▁o ak ▁may ▁be ▁expected ▁to ▁take ▁three ▁years ▁under ▁the ▁same ▁conditions . ▁ ▁So ft wood ▁myth ology ▁ ▁So ft wood ▁is ▁often ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁dangerous ▁to ▁burn ▁because ▁it ▁generates ▁more ▁dangerous ▁cre os ote ▁than ▁hard wood . ▁This ▁myth ▁is ▁per vas ive ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁n ortheast , ▁where ▁both ▁types ▁of ▁wood ▁are ▁commonly ▁available . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁north west , ▁where ▁most ▁full - time ▁wood ▁burn ers ▁burn ▁p ine ▁and ▁fir ▁exclus ively . ▁ ▁A ▁basic ▁understanding ▁of ▁what ▁cre os ote ▁is ▁and ▁how ▁it ▁accum ul ates ▁in ▁your ▁fl ue ▁is ▁all ▁you ▁need ▁to ▁rid ▁yourself ▁of