NEWAYGO, Mich. (March 3, 2014)– It has been a long and cold winter leaving more people to find alternative ways to heat their homes at the cheapest cost. In fact, like wood pellets, fire wood is hard to come by this winter.

The demand is so high right now, it’s hard for loggers and businesses to keep up with orders.

In fact, the Wood Gap Ministry, part of Love INC., is now worried they won’t have enough fire wood to last the next few weeks. The ministry that helps those in the most need say they only have about 20 cord left of the 90 they started with.

It’s the same story at Beaver Tree Service in Newaygo. Hope Meelker says the phone has been ringing off the hook and it’s been a constant game of catch-up this year.

“We started pretty ahead but we got that first cold snap and that put us three weeks behind. We finally got caught up and I was another two weeks behind and now another two weeks behind,” she said.

Meelker says her crews have been working six to seven days a week and putting in extra hours but the problem is getting to the wood with waist deep snow and frigid temperatures.

It’s a reality tree services all across West Michigan are facing; the several we called said they were all wiped out of fire wood.

The Michigan Association of Timbermen even says some of their members have had to put people on waiting lists and the DNR issued Emergency Fuel Wood Permits earlier this year for people to try and get wood.

For more information on how you can find fire wood: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-30301_30505_64424—;,00.html