Demand Swells for Firewood

Some local businesses say they are exhausted from keeping up with the demand. More people are using wood to warm their homes.

Dave Horton has been in the firewood business for more than 10 years in Fayetteville. He has turned away more than 200 customers this year because he was out of wood.

Heating oil prices have gone up as much as 40 percent this year, driving many customers to use their fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. Horton is feeling the heat.

"I work seven days a week, sometimes 12 to 14 hours a day," he says. "I went out at night with a flashlight cutting firewood."

Not all suppliers say they are running short on firewood. Some of the bigger hardware stores say they are fully stocked.

However, you should be prepared to pay a higher price than last year.