Colder weather means backyard bonfires and lit fireplaces! The fire’s flames create a warm glow and are a wonderful socializing place. But when it comes to lighting your fire and keeping it lit, what’s the best wood for an intense flame?

People add brush and other natural items to their fire, but the best option is hard, dry wood. Luckily, there are plenty of great options, depending on your preference. Start by selecting hardwood that's had the chance to season (the process of drying wood) for at least six months. The drier the wood, the better. Learn about different kinds of firewood and which is best for your fire!

1 Ash

Excellent for pizza ovens

Ash firewood is one of the more popular choices. The wood gets hot quickly, making it a great choice if you’re using it to warm up a space. Because of how quickly ash radiates heat, it’s also a great type of wood for pizza ovens or barbecuing food. Ash gives off a bright, beautiful light. Using ash in a fireplace is a wise choice for a warm aesthetic.

Try buying ash pre-split because a downside to the firewood is that it's challenging to split.

2 Oak

One of the top firewood choices

• Oak is dense
• Promotes a quick burn
• Splits easily

Because of oak's great traits — like being dense and having a quick burn — oak is a top choice for fireplaces and fire pits. Like ash, oak promotes less smoke compared to other woods. Sitting by the fire is much more enjoyable and better for the environment without so much smoke.

One of the cons to using oak is it retains water and needs at least two years to season before being lit.

To get the best out of your fire, wood must be stored properly so it continues to dry out. To store wood properly:

1. Use a firewood rack to keep wood off the ground to deter moisture build-up.

2. Stack in neat rows for equal airflow.

3. Cover wood with a tarp or shed to protect it from rain.

3 Beech

Great for bonfires

Beech produces a quick flame and doesn't spark much, making your fire more enjoyable. The wood also produces a pleasant, nutty scent. While mild, beechwood can give food a slightly nuttier taste when used in fire pits at barbecues. If you're looking for a long-lasting fire, beech is an excellent choice.

Beech is another kind of wood that needs one to two years to season and can be pretty tricky to split yourself. Buy your wood a year before you plan to use it and store it, or let it sit for at least six months.

4 Elm

Beware where you get your elm

Elm trees are known for their strong bark and being water-resistant, making them an excellent choice for furniture and boat parts, but what about fires?

• Elm does great as an open flame (outdoor fire pits or fireplaces without glass)
• The wood produces small traces of smoke and can spark
• Its coals will stay lit for a long time

Unfortunately, elms may not smell great when lit. Elms retain the scent of where they grew, and while this is wonderful if your elm grew in the forest, it could be unpleasant if it grew near a swamp.

5 Sugar Maple

A long-lasting flame

Sugar maple is known for its sweet, sugary content. The sap from a sugar maple is only two percent water and 98 percent sugar, making it prime for maple syrup and other sweeteners. Aside from the sugary substance, sugar maple also makes great firewood.

• Maple burns slowly, creating a long-lasting flame
• Unlike oak or ash, sugar maple splits easily

While a great firewood, sugar maple would be excellent for a fire pit but wouldn't warm your home as quickly as a wood like oak.

6 Hickory

Enjoy hickory's sweet smell

Hickory is a wonderful choice for firewood because it doesn’t need long to season (one year should suffice, although two years is preferred), it’s not difficult to split, and it promotes a sweet smell.

This popular wood heats a space quickly, and its coals stay hot for a long time, optimal for fire pits on chilly nights.

Another perk is hickory releases little smoke and ash, making a chimney sweep less needed because it won't get as dirty as it would with wood like unseasoned poplar (although it’s suggested you sweep your chimney at least once a year).

7 Ironwood

Minimal smoke and a hot flame

If you use a fireplace to warm the home, ironwood makes a great source of fuel because of how hot the coals get from this wood. Because of how dry ironwood is, there’s minimal smoke, and it gets hot fast.

As great as ironwood is, it’s tough to split and needs at least two years to season. The simplest way to cut ironwood is to find a tree that’s dying or damaged. The best way, however, is to buy it already split so it doesn’t break your chainsaw.

8 Yellow Birch

A pleasant scent when lit

You may recognize yellow birch as a popular choice for furniture. It’s strong and is a light brown color. Because of how dense birch is, it also makes excellent firewood. There are different species of birch, but yellow and black are best for your fire.

Yellow birch has a pleasant scent when burning (a minty aroma), making it great for the home but not the best choice for the barbecue unless you want your food to have a hint of wintergreen.

Yellow birch dries slowly and should be stored outside to season correctly.

There are plenty of great choices of hardwood to use for your fire. What matters most is choosing dry wood that's had time to season, has minimal smoke, and gets hot quickly. Without proper time to dry out, your fire could have too much moisture, causing it to die faster and promote too much smoke. Do you have a favorite firewood? Share this list with others this fall before starting your fire!