Ag Commissioner: Don’t get burned buying firewood, buy it by the cord

With a chill in the air and snow arriving in the mountains, it is a good time to sit in front of a warm, cozy fireplace.

It is also when buyers of firewood run the risk of getting burned buying less firewood than advertised.

Under state law, firewood must be sold in only two forms of measurement: As a chord or partial chord, or in cubic feet.

Mariposa County Agricultural Commissioner Monica Nielsen said it is a problem they see every year around this time.

“Our job is to protect the consumer if they’re shorted,” she said.

Nielsen said how a seller describes the quantity of firewood for sale — like a bin, a pallet, or a truckload — can be a red flag.

“A Ford truck is different than a Chevy truck bed. They’re all different,” Nielsen said.

“Get a receipt from the seller,” she recommends. “How much it is, what it is, what you paid for it and their contact information.”

In one complaint received so far this year, the buyer paid cash and didn’t have a receipt.

She said violations of the law will be reported to the Mariposa County District Attorney if they can’t be resolved.

A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet.

That could be a stack of wood eight feet long, four feet wide and 4 feet high.

State law says the cord should be “ranked and well-stowed,” which means it should be stacked in a row and not criss-crossed to inflate its volume.

A cord usually weighs between 3,500 to 4,500 pounds.

Prices can vary depending on the type of firewood, its condition and how much someone is buying. On Facebook Marketplace chord prices ranged widely from $150 to $500.

Nielsen said their office usually tries to resolve complaints.

“We give the sellers that opportunity to make things right. We go out and will measure the wood, and take a full report on complaints,” she said.

Nielsen said her office also receives a number of calls halfway into winter, when people are running low on firewood, and might use a broker they’re not familiar with.

The rules on selling firewood do not apply to those who are giving the wood away for free.

The same rules, however, do apply to those who may be trading or bartering firewood for another commodity.