Wildfires are a major driver of abiotic disturbance annually and can affect virtually all forest types across the province. Though wildfires often cause tree mortality, they can also cause widespread damage in the form of injuries to living trees.
Fire-injured trees can then become susceptible to a variety of other forest health agents such as insects and diseases, which can lead to additional tree mortality months or even years after a wildfire.
Many forest health factors in B.C. respond to wildfires in a variety of forest types and age classes.
Black army cutworm, a native defoliating moth, outbreaks and causes mortality to young, replanted stands 2-3 years following fires.
Similarly, Rhizina root disease is a root rot which can cause high incidences of tree mortality in recently replanted stands which have been burned for site preparation or experienced wildfire.
In mature stands, many bark beetle species, including mountain pine beetle and Douglas-fir beetle, attack and kill fire-injured trees following wildfires. Many additional secondary bark beetle and woodborer species can also infest and degrade post-fire trees.
Like all forest health agents in B.C., post-fire damage is monitored in burned areas through annual aerial overview surveys across the province. These data are publicly available and downloadable on our FTP site.