Severe Winter Leaves Estonia Short of Dry Firewood

(MENAFN) Estonia has reportedly run out of dry firewood in the midst of an unusually harsh winter, with the shortage worsened by soaring electricity costs that have made producing new stocks uneconomical, as stated by reports.

This winter has brought temperatures not seen in roughly 25 years, with overnight lows dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 F).

“At the moment we only have fresh wood; we don’t have any dry left,” sawmill owner Taavi Rada said. He noted that after several mild winters, demand for seasoned firewood had been too low to justify keeping large dry reserves.

Local resident Tarmo Kamm, who has been drying firewood for over 30 years, explained that seasoned wood had become prohibitively expensive, leading many to use cheaper green wood.

Burning unseasoned wood produces excessive smoke and significantly less heat because firewood generally requires up to two years to reach a moisture level below 20%.

The shortage has also been fueled by preemptive purchases. Last February, the Estonian government advised citizens to stockpile essentials, including “heating materials,” in preparation for potential power outages as the country moved to disconnect from the Russian electricity grid, part of broader EU efforts to reduce energy dependence on Moscow.

Officials from the Baltic states argued that reliance on the Moscow-controlled network posed a risk if Russia were to weaponize electricity by cutting off supply, though such threats have not materialized.

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