Hauling the Firewood Pile Out to 30 Feet With a Steel Mesh Garden Cart: Uphill or Level, Not Under the Deck

Steel mesh garden cart loaded with split firewood on a cabin path

 

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Most firewood piles start out stacked against the house because it is handy in January. In wildfire country that pile is fuel sitting right where embers land.

Colorado State Forest Service guidance says to keep the woodpile at least 30 feet from the home, uphill from or level with any structure. Do not stack it between trees, under the deck, or on the deck, and clear flammable plants within 10 feet of the pile.

What the forest service says

The Colorado State Forest Service Home Ignition Zone checklists say to keep firewood stacked uphill from or at the same elevation as any structures, and at least 30 feet from the home. They say not to stack firewood between remaining trees, underneath the deck, or on it.

The same checklists say to remove flammable vegetation within 10 feet of woodpiles. The CSFS Home Ignition Zone guide repeats the rule and says not to store firewood or other combustibles in the zone closest to the house.

Picking the new spot

  1. Pace off at least 30 feet from the house, deck, and any shed.
  2. Choose ground that is level with the house or uphill from it, not downhill where fire runs up toward the structure.
  3. Clear grass, weeds, and brush for 10 feet around the new pile site.
  4. Keep the spot out from under tree canopies.

Moving the wood

  1. Load the cart with splits laid crosswise so they do not slide out the ends.
  2. Keep each load to a weight you can pull uphill without straining.
  3. Restack on rails or pallets at the new site so the bottom row stays dry.
  4. Rake up bark and chips at the old site so nothing flammable stays against the wall.

A steel mesh garden cart carries far more splits per trip than an armload. The fold-down sides make unloading at the new stack quick.

The mistake that costs most people the benefit is moving the pile 30 feet but leaving a winter's worth of bark litter against the siding. Rake the old spot down to bare ground.

Gear and next steps

Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply both sell firewood racks and work gloves. A simple rack keeps the stack tidy and off the dirt.

With the pile moved, the next job may be the trees themselves; this walkthrough on grubbing out a 5-inch yard tree stump covers what is left after a tree comes down.

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