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Can You Burn Wood With Moss or Lichen on It?

can you burn wood with moss or lichen on it

You can definitely burn wood with moss or lichen on it. Burning firewood with lichen or moss is usually unproblematic. In most cases, these organic things attached to the firewood will dry out during the seasoning. If the lichen or moss is wet, remove it from the wood first before burning it. Lichens and moss will only develop on living trees or stacked firewood that is not adequately covered.

When searching for firewood, you might find a tree covered in lichen or moss. These organisms can grow on tree barks and other places. The growth of moss or lichen doesn’t affect the host’s overall health. In most cases, these organisms only use the tree’s structure for support. However, the problem might start when the tree is potentially used as firewood.

Like residual leaves and other wet organic materials, any lichen or moss will dry out from the tree after successful seasoning. Once completely dried out, these organic materials will automatically fall or easily be removed. You can ignore it or manually remove it from your firewood. Either way, it doesn’t affect the wood’s burnability.

What Are Lichens and Moss?

For inexperienced firewood gatherers, the appearance of lichens and moss can be quite confusing. These two are often confused with molds, a kind of fungi officially called Myxomycetes. Either way, it’s essential to know the differences between these three organic growths. Molds can become deadly when burnt, and it’s relatively easy to burn them accidentally.

Lichens

In its simplest explanation, lichen is a combination of two different organisms that live together. This combination often consists of a fungus and algae. In most cases, the fungus dwells in the algae’s surroundings. The algae colony will provide food to the fungus, while the latter protects it from drying out from the sun’s heat.

Lichens tend to have a green appearance when exposed to water or moist. This is the reason why some people mistook it as moss. However, when exposed to the sun, the lichen will start to dry out and turn into a duller color (usually a combination of white and green.)

Moss

Unlike lichens, mosses are a bundle of leaves, a unicellular plant that thrives on bigger ones. These greeneries have smaller leaflets that they use for photosynthesis. But unlike the larger plants, mosses don’t have saps and twigs that carry out water and nutrients. It directly absorbs water on its system, making it a bit problematic for seasoning wood due to moisture retention. 

Wet moss will likely dry out during the seasoning phase, especially if the drying setup is good. All the damp materials in the tree, including barks and leaves, will fall out as soon as the wood is wholly seasoned correctly. 

Take note: if there’s a moss development in your wood stacks, you might want to remove the organic growth manually before using the wood as fuel. Wet moss will kill the fire from the kindling and prevent the fire from spreading to other firewood. 

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Are There Possible Dangers Of Lichens And Moss In Firewood?

As far as firewood usage is concerned,  most people will advise you just to ignore lichens. These materials would often burn with the wood and not give any ill effect. However, you might want to avoid burning firewood with an excessive amount of lichen in an indoor fireplace. 

Although it doesn’t affect burnability and will not make you ill, there might be an acrid smell that might hurt your nostrils. This smell will likely not trigger an asthma attack, but it can be quite an unpleasant experience. 

For mosses, most people use the dried ones as kindling to the fire. It is an excellent source if you don’t have paper or other burnable materials around you. Scrape the dried moss off using a knife or any scrapper and put it in a container for future kindling use. 

Wet mosses are discarded because they can smother the kindling and prevent the fire from growing. In most cases, people tend to use moss-covered firewood after the kindling. The wet parts will dry out quickly when there’s a good fire pit already available.

How About Molds?

The same recommendation does not apply to molds. These fungi can cause breathing problems and spread to other hardwood surfaces. Additionally, molds can spread around other wood materials if the moisture and humidity are sufficient. 

Molds only appear on dead or rotten firewood. Unlike lichens or mosses, molds produce spores that can pose serious health problems. Spores from molds are airborne, which might trigger allergy attacks, causing runny nose or irritated eyes. If the spores around an area are too much, it can even trigger an asthma attack. 

Another danger of using moldy firewood is the potential of damaging a wooden structure. Since the spores become airborne, the chances of getting it in your wooden walls, floorings, or furniture can be relatively high. This is especially true in areas with abundant moisture and humidity in the air. 

The rule of thumb is to avoid using moldy firewood inside your home. It might be better if you avoid burning moldy firewood altogether. Take note: these molds will only grow on a diseased or rotting tree. 

If you happen to find a mold colony in your wood stacks, there’s a high chance that other wood is already infected. You might want to check your whole wood stack for other potential infections. 

How To Avoid Lichen Moss Development In Your Firewood 

To avoid lichen and moss development, it’s essential to keep your stack supplied with adequate airflow. This step will make the drying process faster and prevent moisture from staying near the pile. To achieve this, put a covering on the top of your woodpile, but not on the sides. 

Don’t forget to add a platform before you put your stack on the ground. This ensures that your firewood doesn’t touch the ground, reabsorbing moisture and other things. Keeping your firewood outside might also be better in some cases to avoid the accumulation of moisture in the nearby area.

Final Thoughts

Burning wood with moss or lichen on it poses no real risks or hazards. These will naturally die off as the wood ages and properly seasons.

If the moss or lichen is still wet on the wood, simply wipe it off or remove it before burning for the best results. When storing firewood, try to keep it covered to prevent moisture buildup which will decrease the chances of moss or lichen growth.

Mold, however, is a different story. It would be safest to avoid burning wood with mold altogether. The danger of mold being inhaled into the lungs is of great concern.

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