In fire-prone forests, postfire tree recovery may be limited by climate conditions and fire activity that exceed the range of conditions under which these forests evolved, leading to major shifts in forest structure and composition. Transformations of forest to sparse woodland, shrubland, or grassland are emerging in forests where fire return intervals fall below the time it takes for trees to mature and produce cones, in places affected by drought, and in trailing-edge populations. However, fire-prone forests are diverse in species’ traits and climatic setting, suggesting that responses to changes in climate and fire activity will vary.