BajaNomad - Crossing firewood

Crossing firewood

Mexicali_Kid - 2-19-2011 at 08:00 PM

I would like to take some firewood to Mexico. I have been told you can not cross the border in either direction with fire wood. Have any of you gotten the red light and you had fire wood? What happens?

Thanks in advance

woody with a view - 2-19-2011 at 08:03 PM

i put the wood (4"x6" pieces cut into 1 foot lengths) in a single layer in the back of the truck and load the rest of my stuffs on top of it. i'm not trying to smuggle firewood, i just think it packs better that way....

mcfez - 2-19-2011 at 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mexicali_Kid
I would like to take some firewood to Mexico. I have been told you can not cross the border in either direction with fire wood. Have any of you gotten the red light and you had fire wood? What happens?

Thanks in advance

We have a home in SF and cross many times per year. I always have firewood in the rear....with the bags and such up top of it all. Been red lighted in Mexicali without issues.....without issues on those given days. Who knows what tomorrow will bring! Worst is they will tell you to rid it.

BornFisher - 2-19-2011 at 08:56 PM

Quote:

Worst is they will tell you to rid it.

That`s the problem! Get rid of firewood? Heck when I`m driving along and see a good log or 2x4, I`ll pull an illegal U turn just to get at it!! I`ve got my oak and pine tucked away pretty good---------------- BUT no, you can`t bring firewood back!! Getting rid of it? Oh how that would pain me! Almost torture!!

[Edited on 2-20-2011 by BornFisher]

DENNIS - 2-19-2011 at 09:23 PM

Have a buddy who was turned back. He was doing a job in Temecula and had a truck load of scrap. He had no idea of the rule.

wessongroup - 2-19-2011 at 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BornFisher
Worst is they will tell you to rid it.

too funny, used to due the same :lol:

krafty - 2-20-2011 at 12:06 AM

have several friends who have been turned back, with firewood, bags of mulch, topsoil-thru SY and head to Otay and get across. Depends on the "LIGHT"
having said that, the first coupla years coming down as touristas we had no idea about the light. we actually waved at the guys the first time and had no idea they wanted us to stop-they never followed.

woody with a view - 2-20-2011 at 06:31 AM

topsoil?

oh yes!

mcfez - 2-20-2011 at 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
topsoil?

Topsoil is non existence in areas like San Felipe. To grow a decent veggie plot...much less a potted plant....one needs topsoil. It's 100% pure sand in our area.

woody with a view - 2-20-2011 at 07:52 AM

i know. i take a 3cu. ft. bag to friends every time down. it is against the rules to cross south with it?

"have several friends who have been turned back, with firewood, bags of mulch, topsoil-thru SY and head to Otay and get across."

krafty - 2-20-2011 at 11:16 AM

so they say....depends who you are talking to-a neighbor had wood in the form of a chair they were bringing down to have reupholstered and they were turned back :yes:

David K - 2-20-2011 at 11:23 AM

About every single trip to Baja we have at least one bundle of the store bought fireplace wood... never ever been stopped for it going south.

When we once brought it back north because we didn't use it, the U.S. customs took it from us, however!

Mexicali_Kid - 2-22-2011 at 11:27 AM

So the worst that can happen is I get turned back. Thanks for the input.

DENNIS - 2-22-2011 at 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mexicali_Kid
So the worst that can happen is I get turned back. Thanks for the input.

At TJ, not much could be worse. It's a little more than a U-TURN.

TheBajaKid - 2-22-2011 at 02:59 PM

You should be fine, ive done it many times and even when Red lighted they never said anything about the firewood.

bigzaggin - 2-22-2011 at 03:29 PM

I have crossed going S many, many times with a week's worth of firewood on open display - often on my roof - and never once had an issue. If this is a law, it's not enforced.

As for going N, never brought back so much as a twig. The last nite's fire is always the biggest.

TheBajaKid - 2-22-2011 at 07:55 PM

USCustomes let me bring back a small chunk of dead dry mesquite for my smoker. They didnt want to let me at first and i made them look in to it becuse its a hardwood and is bug free i told them. Took a little time for them to find out and let me go with it.

DENNIS - 2-22-2011 at 07:59 PM

The border, both ways, is a flip of the coin regardless of how we assume it should be.
No one knows what will happen.