31 July 2025
Why Was An Entire Day Of Television Dedicated To Firewood?
Part of the reason we are experts in supplying sustainable firewood and are happy to work with you to get the supply you need is because we are passionate about wood harvesting, cutting, seasoning and burning, so you can get the solid fuel you need for the winter.
At least a fifth of the population of Norway shared this passion, if the popularity and remarkable controversy surrounding a 12-hour National Wood Night broadcast is anything to go by.
It was part of the state-run Norwegian Broadcasting Company's (NRK) experiment with "Slow Television" shows, which were designed around slow, calming television designed as an antidote to increasingly hectic lives.
Firewood is a perfect choice for this, as one of the biggest reasons why people buy firewood and use wood-burning stoves is the relaxing, comforting sensation of the crackle of embers and the amber glow of the flame.
Four of the 12 hours consisted of more conventional documentary style broadcasts discussing the sourcing, harvesting, cutting and seasoning of firewood.
At the time, 1.2 million Norwegian households in a country with a population of 5.6 million people used a wood-burning fireplace, so it had a broad appeal.
A book on the same topic by Lars Mytting under the name of "Solid Wood" sold over 150,000 copies, and a quarter of the population watched the TV live event.
However, the most popular part of the night was eight hours of a live fireplace burning logs of wood, which generated the most attention and a remarkable amount of controversy.
Viewers noted their excitement at the moments when a new log was added to the fire, but other viewers were infuriated by how the chopped-up logs were being stacked.
Half of them were annoyed by the logs when the bark was stacked facing up, but when the woodcutters stacked it the other way, another influx of complaints came in.
The person in charge of the fire, photographer Ingrid Tangstad Hatlevoll, consulted a live chat about where to place the logs to avoid more complaints.
Despite this, the show was a huge success, and it only highlighted how serious firewood is.