Opportunists are taking advantage of the firewood demand as the weather gets colder, advertising on social media that their wood is dry, or ready to burn, or ready next week, except it is not.

Firewood retailers are warning consumers to watch out for "cowboys" selling wet wood on social media.

Demand for firewood in Christchurch is peaking ahead of winter, with wait times for bigger loads already stretching out to more than two months.

City Firewood manager Robbie Harris said he had heard complaints from customers saying wood they had bought online was too wet and would not burn, so they had to buy more firewood from a retailer to keep their home warm.

Harris said opportunists were taking advantage of the fact firewood became scarcer when demand went up.

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"They are advertising on social media that their wood is dry, or ready to burn, or ready next week, except that it is not," he said.

"Unfortunately, we get lots of people coming in who have been conned by these people. Surprisingly this wood isn't even cheap, it's often comparable, or even more expensive than our wood."

Harris said there was still plenty of wood available, though not in every variety, and his staff were working hard to prepare to fill back orders.

JOHN COSGROVE Ewen Cameron loads up the boot of his car at the City Firewood yard in Harewood, Christchurch.

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National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) projections suggest this winter will be similar to last year – quite cold.

Harris expected demand would be high for firewood top-ups and last-minute stock-ups.

Many delayed buying firewood because of the extended good summer weather, then rushed to place orders when the temperature dropped.

City Firewood staff were working seven days a week to fill the order backlog, with some customers waiting up to nine weeks for large loads due to the time it took to produce dry, seasoned wood. Harris said smaller loads were available at any time.

A recent surge in exports to more than 1.1 million cubic metres of logs a month has created a shortage of some specific firewood varieties in the South Island.

Styx Firewood owner David Richards said he had been dealing with very high demand since February.

"We are managing to keep it down to a couple of weeks for deliveries, but firewood is in very short supply in the city.

JOHN COSGROVE A City Firewood staffer in front of a 6 metre high pile of kiln dried firewood waiting for transportation.

"With a huge overseas demand, it's all going to the port and we get what's left."

Timaru Port lumber administration officer Sharlene Lyon said the firm was struggling to get enough wood for its core business, producing timber posts.

They sold the off-cuts as firewood, but pine was in short supply due to increased exports and they had almost sold out of seasoned firewood.

"Many people got in early and stocked up; they were nervous after we ran out last year," Lyon said.

Further south, Dunedin firewood dealers were reporting no problems servicing the demand.

The Woodshed Dunedin manager Jon Mayall said pine was harder to come by, but there were adequate supplies of larch, oregon, macrocarpa and beech in Otago.

JOHN COSGROVE Stacks of trees waiting to be cut up and split for firewood at the Christchurch City Firewood yard.