Where to Stack Firewood in Fire Country

How far from the house should firewood be stacked?

Thirty feet is the figure almost every source uses. The IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home checklist says to store firewood and wood piles at least 30 feet from the home. The Colorado State Forest Service's Home Ignition Zone guide says to keep the woodpile at least 30 feet away from the home. In Montana, Flathead County's wildfire prevention guidance says to store firewood at least 30 feet from structures whenever practical, and Missoula County's Home Upgrade Hub gives the same distance.

MSU Extension's WUI landscaping MontGuide puts it more simply: do not store firewood near a home or on the deck. NFPA's guidance for the first 5 feet lists firewood piles among the flammable materials to move away from exterior walls. A woodpile within reach of the house gives embers a large, dry, sheltered target to land on, and a burning woodpile next to a wall is a sustained heat source that can last long after the front of a fire has passed. Our guide to how homes ignite explains why that combination matters.

Does it matter whether the woodpile is uphill or downhill of the house?

Yes. CSFS's checklist says to keep firewood stacked uphill from, or at the same elevation as, any structures. Fire and heat move upslope, so a pile below the house on a hillside puts its flames and heat directly into the building above it. MSU's WUI MontGuide notes that fire moves rapidly uphill, heating everything upslope of the flames. On the benches and hillsides of the Bitterroot and around Missoula, where many houses sit above the ground that falls away from them, the downhill side of the house is the worst place for a woodpile. Our slope and wind guide covers how terrain changes fire behavior.

What should be cleared around a woodpile?

CSFS recommends removing flammable vegetation within 10 feet of woodpiles, and not stacking firewood between remaining trees, under the deck or on the deck. Flathead County says to clear leaves, weeds and debris around wood piles. A good woodpile site is on gravel or bare ground, away from tree canopies, away from fences, and with mowed grass around it.

Avoid stacking against a fence or an outbuilding wall. NIST's fence and mulch tests found that combustible objects burning together produce disproportionately more fire than each alone, and a woodpile against a cedar fence is exactly that pairing. Our fence guide covers the fence side of it.

Can I cover the woodpile with a tarp?

For seasoning, cover only the top. The EPA's Burn Wise guidance says to store wood outdoors, off the ground, with only the top covered, because covering the sides traps moisture. For fire, the IBHS checklist adds that fire-retardant tarps are not accepted as a substitute for distance, so a treated tarp over a pile beside the house does not meet its standard. A tarp is a seasoning tool, not a fire measure.

What about a woodshed?

A woodshed is the one exception IBHS makes. Its checklist allows firewood to be stored in an approved accessory structure, and its rules for structures within 30 feet of the home include a minimum of 10 feet from the home and from other structures, a Class A fire-rated roof on any solid-covered structure, its own 5-foot noncombustible zone, and at least 6 inches of noncombustible material at the base of walls and posts. An open lean-to with a wood roof bolted to the side of the garage does not meet that. Our guide to sheds and outbuildings goes through those requirements.

How do I keep a winter supply handy without breaking the rule?

Separate the season's supply from the day's supply. The main stack lives 30 feet out, uphill or level, on cleared ground. A small amount comes in to a metal rack or bin by the door as needed through winter. Flathead County's guidance suggests moving smaller piles farther away during high-risk periods, which in practice means that by the time the valley dries out in summer, the porch rack should be empty and anything left should go back to the main pile.

The trade-off is easier than it sounds, because the porch rack only has to be empty during the dry months, not all year. The inconvenience of walking 30 feet in January is real; the porch pile in August is the bigger problem. Our fire season calendar covers when risk rises.

Is a metal firewood rack next to the house safe?

The rack is not the problem; the wood on it is. The IBHS checklist lists firewood among the combustible items to remove from the first 5 feet around a home, and its 30-foot woodpile rule applies however the wood is held. A steel log rack full of split pine against the siding is still a pile of dry fuel against the siding. A small rack by the door in winter is a reasonable convenience as long as it is emptied before the dry season, as described above.

What does a good woodpile site look like?

Pulling the guidance together: at least 30 feet from the house and any other building, uphill of them or level with them, not between trees or under their canopies, not against a fence, on gravel or bare ground with 10 feet of cleared or mowed ground around it, stacked off the ground on rails, with only the top covered. If the only spot that meets all of that is awkward to reach in snow, a gravel path to it is a small project that fixes the reason most piles end up on the porch.

On a sloped lot that sometimes means building a small level pad. Our hardscape firebreak guide covers gravel and rock surfaces that double as fuel breaks.

How should firewood be stored so it seasons properly?

The EPA's Burn Wise program says to burn only dry, split, well-seasoned wood, to season wood for at least six months, and that wood burns best at a moisture content of less than 20 percent, which a wood moisture meter can check before burning. Seasoned wood is darker, lighter and sounds hollow when two pieces are struck together. Stack it off the ground on rails or pallets, with air moving through the sides and only the top covered.

Those rules line up with fire safety: a pile on a cleared gravel pad, away from buildings and trees, in sun and wind, seasons faster than one tucked under a deck. Our guide to firewood and wood chips after tree removal covers splitting and using wood from your own trees.

Can I bring firewood in from out of state?

Be careful, and for ash, no. MSU Extension reported in its Summer 2026 issue that emerald ash borer had not been detected in Montana, called infested firewood the most probable route of introduction, and noted that a state quarantine bans importing untreated ash products, including firewood and logs that have not been heat-treated. MSU points readers to dontmovefirewood.org; the general advice is to buy or gather firewood near where you burn it.

If your firewood comes from beetle-killed pines on your own property, the fire questions about the standing dead trees are covered in our guide to beetle-killed trees and fire risk.

What about the slash and rounds from tree work?

Rounds cut from thinning or removal are firewood once split and stacked, and the same 30-foot rule applies. Brush and limbs are not; MSU's WUI MontGuide says brush piles from landscape maintenance should be isolated, away from overhanging branches and away from other flammable or hazardous materials, and CSFS says any accumulation of slash should be 30 feet or more from the home. Our guide to slash disposal options in Montana covers chipping, hauling and burning.

Moving the woodpile is one of the free fixes in a defensible space plan, and it is often the first thing a fire department consultation points out. This guide is part of our Montana Wildfire & Defensible Space Guide. When HJ Property Care & Tree Service does tree removal or fire mitigation, we can cut rounds to stove length and stack them where you want the pile, and chip or haul the rest, across Missoula County and the Bitterroot Valley. Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate and we will walk the property with you.

More resources