What is the BTU content of wood?

The BTU content of different woods varies. The MBTU (one million BTUs) per cord of wood (seasoned wood at 20 percent moisture content) varies from 5.8 in Balsa to 30.0 in Osage Orange (hedge).

BTU stands for the British Thermal Unit, which is used to measure heat value. It is defined as the amount of thermal energy required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. Cord is the unit to measure the firewood volume. A standard cord is a stack of wood that is 4 feet tall, 8 feet long and 4 feet deep (volume of 128 cubic feet).