Caution on burning wood from Sandy

ORANGE, Conn. (WTNH) -- Superstorm Sandy took down power lines and homes, but she left an abundance of wood. There is a large stack at the transfer station in Orange and fire marshals want to tell people what they need to know before starting up their fireplace.

"All this stuff is from Sandy here and let me tell you something, if the rain came when Sandy hit us, there would be triple this," Anthony Perry of Orange said.

Perry says his truckload was still in his yard from the storm and gave the firewood to his neighbor.

He says he has never seen piles of wood this large in Orange, so he understands why folks might be tempted to burn it.

"Economic times make people do strange things," Perry said.

Milford Fire Inspector, Anthony Fino says because of the excess supply, folks who don't normally use the fireplace, may start to now.

"We just want them to resist the temptation and wait at least a year to dry it out and season it properly," Fino said.

He says burning un-aged wood can lead to chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. Plus, it's always a good idea to safely dispose of hot ashes.

"You always want to put them into a metal pail and put them far away from your house," Fino said.

Back at the transfer station Perry is still unloading his truck and glancing at the hill of logs which will soon disappear.

"They have a grinder that comes in, they grind it up and people come and take the wood chips and put it around their yards," Perry said.