I like wood fires at our lake home. We added a small wood stove to our three-season porch which also serves as my office. It is a great place to write. The stove adds ambiance and warmth.
We have access to plenty of wood although we have yet to master the challenge of drying it appropriately. I have always wondered about the issue of whether the release of CO2 from wood fires adds to the problem of global warming. I need to heat our cabin, but is wood worse than using propane. I found this analysis from the BBC Science Focus. Burning wood is carbon neutral. I guess this makes sense – whether the wood is burned or rots in the woods, the carbon dioxide is no longer captured in the wood. The article does indicate that burning wood releases particles that can be damaging to lung health. I would think a stove in comparison to a fireplace would eliminate this problem.