Fire activity has increased across much of western North America in recent decades, contributing to widespread concern that contemporary fire years are unprecedented. Yet in many forests, especially those historically shaped by frequent, low- to mixed-severity fire, there is still far less fire than occurred prior to widespread fire exclusion. This “fire deficit” is not just a historical artifact. It is a key reason many forests have accumulated fuels, shifted in structure and composition, and become more vulnerable to severe ecological effects, drought, and climate-driven change.
 

In this webinar, speaker Dr. Sean Parks (University of Montana) will place recent increases in area burned within a longer historical context using multi-century tree-ring fire-scar records and contemporary fire datasets. He will discuss where fire deficits remain most pronounced, why recent extreme fire years are still best understood against this deeper historical baseline, and why excluding fire indefinitely is unlikely to sustain many fire-prone forests. He will then explore what this means for the future, including how prescribed fire, managed wildfire, and strategic fuel treatments can help restore more resilient fire regimes. These same issues also matter for communities: the legacy of fire exclusion, combined with climate warming and continued development in fire-prone landscapes, is increasing the potential for fires that threaten homes, infrastructure, insurance markets, and local economies. The central challenge is not simply whether there will be more fire, but whether future fire occurs under conditions that support ecological resilience while reducing the likelihood of catastrophic losses.

Brought to you by the Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Science Consortium.