The wood piles in Brandenburg’s forests have already been sold. If you want fuel, you have to fell Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa
By Michael Sauerbier
The stove builders can hardly keep up: more and more Berliners and Brandenburgers want a wood-burning fireplace – so as not to freeze in winter without gas.
But the natural fuel is expensive – and harmful to the environment (keyword: particulate matter)!
In hardware stores, firewood prices are already approaching those of parquet. The cubic meter already costs 150 euros, at the local fuel dealer it is available for 80 euros. The wood is cheapest at 20-25 euros from Brandenburg’s foresters, depending on the type and distance from the nearest forest path. But that has several catches.
“In the forest you have to fell the trees yourself,” says Brandenburg’s forest manager Carsten Leßner (55), “whatever is stacked there has already been sold.” See chainsaw license. Then he assigns territory and marked trees.
Brandenburg’s forest chief Carsten Leßner warns of wood theft Photo: private
The second catch: “Fresh wood has to dry in an airy storage room for two to three years,” says Leßner. “You should only put it in the oven when it has a basic moisture content of 15 percent. Otherwise it stinks badly and sootes up the chimney.” That can be really expensive and dangerous. Not to mention the fine dust pollution.
And the dry fallen wood lying around everywhere? “That belongs to the forest owner,” warns Leßner, “Collecting is only allowed for mushrooms and bouquets of flowers. In the case of wood, it’s theft!” The forest also needs the deadwood because it forms nutrients for the trees and keeps moisture in the soil.
How does the forest manager heat his own house? Carsten Leßner: “Gas for the base load. In addition, a water-bearing fireplace. And enough wood for three years under the roof. On top of that I have a solar system.”