The Cons of Moving Firewood Long Distances: Why Keeping Firewood Local Matters Transporting firewood may seem harmless, but moving untreated firewood long distances can create environmental problems that aren't always visible to the person buying or burning the wood. Firewood can potentially carry insects, larvae, fungi, pathogens, and tree diseases underneath the bark or deep inside the wood. That's why the simple principle “Buy It Where You Burn It” is promoted as an import