Another thread had passing references to wood you can burn, and wood you should never burn.

This is worth a thread in itself. It's useful information for scrounging/recycling fuel, in normal times or emergency.

My understanding is:

1) Never burn pressure-treated lumber. Anything that kills fungus will likely do you harm. If it sits on or near grade, it's probably treated.

Most of the new residential stuff uses copper-based compounds. Older stuff, and certain industrial-grade structural wood products, uses arsenic. Avoid.

2) Other real wood products, such as 2x4 studs, are okay for heat. But I'm leery of cooking food directly on the flames. I hear rumours (high-quality hearsay) that kiln-dried lumber is sprayed with fungicide before it is shipped. There are no warning labels, but it doesn't break down nearly as fast as natural wood. Hmm.

3) Laminated-type products like plywood or oriented-strand board (OSB board) are a question mark. I wouldn't cook food directly over them. But I have thrown small pieces in the wood stove; they burn like the dickens, hot enough to overheat the stove if you use too much. But I don't know ... better off in a landfill?

Thoughts?