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Why Does Wood Pop In The Fire. Softwoods such as conifers and pines are more likely to spark due to their high resin content. Make your fire on a dry surface.
Wood is porous and easily absorbs any moisture it. Some will get stuck in the wood. As the trapped moisture heats up, it will.
In basic terms, it has something to do with the combustion gases escaping from the wood. When resin bits catch fire, they explode and throw hot sparks up the chimney and out the front of the fireplace. Woods such as red cedar and poplar are resinous, containing tree saps that are highly flammable.
As the trapped moisture heats up, it will. When the wood is burned, combustible gasses will be released. As the gas escapes, the fire will emit an audible pop or crack.
This same principle rings true when burning wet or moist firewood. If you place a pot of water on the stove and activate the burner, it will evaporate as steam. Some will get stuck in the wood.
The holes created by the insects will give the gasses an escape route. And, in these moments, the popping and crackling picks up and increases until the moisture in. Typically, when the moisture in the wood is high, the pops and crackling noises are a lot more frequent.
Moisture that might have escaped without a problem will now be trapped inside this freshly formed seal, causing the wood to pop even more frequently than it would have otherwise. Trapped moisture can also cause wood to pop and crackle from the creation of steam.
