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Hardwoods are the best bet. My best friends dad had a fireplace. He'd always look for white oak and water oak . I would advise against conifers. They produce a sap that sticks to the inside of the chimney and is very flammable.
He was asking how to keep the fire lit. The sap in conifers is flammable as hell.
Douglas fir, hemlock and cedar are about all we have around here, you can start a fire with those no matter how crappy your technique is.