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In tough times, wood heats up In troubled economy, more people turn to firewood as source of heat and income Date published: 1/11/2009
BY CATHY DYSON When Steve Jones' job hauling construction equipment dropped off like the rest of the industry, he needed another way to make money. He saw people in shopping-center parking lots and along roads with loaded pickup trucks, offering firewood for sale. "I was like, maybe I can get a little piece of the pie," the Fredericksburg man said. Like many others across the region, Jones turned to firewood as a source of both heat and income. He and other wood choppers have seen an increase in firewood use this year; so have firefighters, chimney sweepers and foresters. "Everybody that I've talked to says they don't want to pay for gas, they want to burn wood," said Wendell Adkinson, who hauls firewood from King George County to Northern Virginia. The cost savings seems to be the biggest reason more people are going to the woodpile. Firewood is, by far, the cheapest source of heat. Last month, a cord of wood averaged $142 in local ads, while the equivalent amount of fuel oil cost $344 and propane cost $667. There's also a lot of wood available. Spring storms tore through forests, and industrious people like Gene Swartz of Sumerduck have offered to clean up the mess. Homeowners let him clear the downed trees, which he splits at his home and sells by the truckload. He's cutting more dead wood daily to keep up with the demand. "It's a lot of work, but there's money in it," he said. A recent customer's story may be typical these days. "She said she was out of wood and her husband was raising Cain about the electric bill," Jones said. "I think a lot of people are panicking." No figures are available on how many Virginians use firewood. The Virginia Department of Forestry says homeowners buy about 2 million cords of firewood a year, but that's just the amount sold from commercial lumberyards, said Charlie Becker, the department's utilization and marketing manager. The figure doesn't include the many mom-and-pop operations that sell firewood on the side. Becker recognizes that firewood helps both buyers and sellers who are watching every penny. "Some people have more sweat equity than they have cash," he said. But he and other officials remind homeowners of the safety issues involved with burning wood.
Date published: 1/11/2009
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