Winter Is Coming: Locating Safe and Legal Firewood In Texas
Cold weather is definitely here! It's time to gather the right kind of firewood, preferably some that is well-seasoned. Furthermore, make certain that the firewood you are burning in your fireplace is from your county.
The saying that the Texas Department of Agriculture wants all Texans to memorize is, "Buy it where you burn it!" Now, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Texas is in for a couple of "harsh winter storms". The National Weather Service has just released that the next cold front coming in is going to be an "unusual hard freeze" due to lows being predicted in the single digits, and the windchill making it feel like -5 to -10 below zero.
While it is beginning to look a lot like a snowless Antarctica around here, it's still time to bring in your wagonloads of firewood to give our heaters a little help. This is where the Texas Department of Agriculture's new regulations come into play.
To avoid being fined, be careful where your firewood is coming from. NEVER buy firewood in another county and then transfer it into the county where you reside. The reason is some invasive emerald ash borers are being spread around the Lone Star State, and if you're caught trafficking firewood there are some hefty fines you will have to pay.
Right now there are over a dozen counties under quarantine due to the destructive invasive emerald ash borers. This means it is prohibited and illegal to move firewood originating from certain counties to any other county in Texas, no questions asked!
The following 15 Texas counties are currently quarantined:
- Bowie
- Camp
- Cass
- Cooke
- Dallas
- Denton
- Harrison
- Hopkins
- Marion
- Morris
- Parker
- Rusk
- Tarrant
- Titus
- Wise
Taylor County is under a different type of restriction. The Texas Department of Agriculture also has an additional 192 counties shut down because of the Texas invasive imported red fire ant, prohibiting the movement of firewood in or out of these counties. "Buy It Where You Burn It!"
Below are a few places where you can find local firewood. Many of these local firewood suppliers are harvesting the wood in and around Abilene and Taylor County. Fortunately, many of them are also delivering and stacking firewood.
Sources: Texas Department of Agriculture's new regulations,
Don'tMoveFirewood.org, Buy It Where You Burn It
Know Where To Go To Get Firewood In And Around Abilene
Look: Here Are Some Ideas Of Where To Purchase Firewood
Gallery Credit: Rudy Fernandez