In our part of the world, we burn nearly every available type of wood. Our northern forests mostly consist of coniferous trees (sometimes called softwood), like pine and spruce, which burn with a familiar crackling sound. Among hardwoods, we primarily use birch, alder, aspen, willow, and rowan. Beech, oak, ash, and maple are also used, though they are considered a luxury since they also make fine lumber. Oak also contains high levels of tannins, which can corrode the fireplace’s iron and stone. Common practice is to use a mix of wood types: pine to start the fire, birch to heat it up, and perhaps beech for a slower burn. Almost all fireplaces are designed to burn wood, not plastic or trash, which can damage the fireplace and emit unpleasant gases with bad odors. The smell of wood smoke is something we humans love. Regardless of the type of wood, it’s important to split it to the right size and dry it (but not too much) before burning. Many people consider chopping, splitting, stacking, drying, and handling firewood to be art forms in themselves, not to mention kindling-making, which is our specialty.