Burning fir or other softwoods

[BrandonTN]

The last camping trip I went on, the smoke of our campfire burned our eyes excessively.  We were camped in a spruce-fir forest.  It occured to me that it might be the softwood that was causing it...does that  have anything to do with it?  Is burning hardwood less stingy on the eyes?

[UNCLEBUCK]

I spent much time around open fires as in high school my nickname was "kegmaster" and I have found that any kind of smoke burns my eyes but a good hot fire from dry wood wont smoke so much . Maybe you had some half dried wood .  If I have a good hot fire going in the fireplace and forget to open the draft when I open the doors ,that smoke even just a little will drive me nuts .  I do love the smell of pine burning though . Maybe someone else can give you a exact answer 

[Pullinchips]

All smoke burns my eyes if i get enough of it in there.  It's a real pain when prescribed burning or putting out your hot spots on fires.

-Nate

[SwampDonkey]

Smoke, just plain old burns weather it's in the eyes or your throat, no matter what kind of wood.

[Tom]

I don't mind hardwood smoke too much, especially when it gets into close proximity with a chuck roast, t-bone, sirloin or pork butt.   Somehow the teary eyes are a lot easier to live with. 

[Bro. Noble]

This really doesn't relate to the question,  but I thought of it and decided I'd better post quick while I had a thought

We used to have a wood furnace in our basement and wouldn't think of burning pine because of getting buildup in the flu.  Now we have an outdoor furnace and I don't worry so much about that.  We burn mostly shaky red oak that won't even make pallet stock.  I just get a forkfull on the loader and take it to the house and cut it right on the forks,  letting it drop on the woodpile.  It's a good system,  but the smoke sure stinks.  We had a standing dead pine near the house that fell over.  I chunked it up and burned it in the furnace just to be shut of it.  It smelled good,  even mixed with red oak.  I've since tried cedar also.  Smells even better

[PineNut]

I have burned pine in an outdoor furnace. When there is a demand for heat, it works fine but when the heat demand is low, the pine does not burn as well. Mixed with hardwood, seems to be the best way to burn it. Most of the pine I have burned was slabs.

[wassaw]

evergreen trees have resin that decidous trees for the most part do not.for the least amount of smoke use dry seasoned wood

[SwampDonkey]

On a cold crisp morning in winter I like the smell of white cedar or birch. I don't know how many times I've heard someone say, 'you can't tell what wood their burning from smelling the smoke'. Hmm...since when?.. nothing wrong with my smeller.