PORTLAND, Maine – Firewood sales – and prices – are rising in parts of the West and New England this winter, fueled by increasingly expensive oil and kerosene.
The strong demand has pushed prices to their highest levels ever, said Peter Lammert, a forester with the Maine Forest Service.
Seasoned firewood is now selling for roughly $180 to $230 a cord compared with between $140 and $160 a year ago in Maine, he said. Similar prices are being reported in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Ray Colton of Pittsfield, Vt., said his company has sold more than 4,000 cords this season, about 1,000 more than last year: “We’re selling as fast as we produce,” he said.
A cord is a stack of firewood 4 feet wide, 8 feet long and 4 feet high.
Prices are also up out West, including in Colorado, where local hardwood begins at $180 per cord and imported oak costs $300.
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