[D13Fd]

Many wood fireplaces barely heat anything. You have to open the flue to let the smoke escape, and the heated air from your house escapes as well. That air has to be replenished from somewhere—and that somewhere is "outside," where the air is freezing.

So in the end all you get is heat immediately around the fireplace, and a cold house everywhere else.

(None of this applies to modern fireplaces that account for these issues - but I don't think that's what you are talking about here.)

[BeLoSmc]

Lived in a house for a decade with only wood heat, as do lots of folks, this just isn’t accurate.