When wildfire sweeps through an area, the animals that live there must either move or be burned.  Unfortunately, some of them cannot move fast enough to escape.

However, a larger, longer term question is how fire affects habitat.  Few animals can survive in the immediate aftermath of a burn.  Certainly there is less cover for animals to hide in and fewer homes for birds and mammals that nest in trees, shrubs or tall grass.

However it may be a surprise that many animals are       actually attracted to burned areas as soon as the plants start to recover. The grasses, flowers and shrubs that emerge after a fire are often more succulent, tasty and nutritious than the ones that were burned.

Native Americans observed this and sometimes burned patches of prairie intentionally to attract buffalo, making them easier to hunt. Deer, elk and moose prefer the young shoots of aspen and willow that emerge after fire.

Ranchers have to be careful after burns because domestic animals may concentrate on burned areas until they overgraze range plants during a period when the plants are recovering, but still are more vulnerable to damage. The ideal situation is a landscape with patches…patches of mature vegetation and lots of cover… patches that are middle aged, diverse and vigorous…patches of new growth such as recently burned areas. Each patch has a special mix of benefits and limitations as habitat for wild or domestic animals.

As with most natural phenomena, there are trade-offs with wildfire.  Some animals are harmed and others benefit.  Some damage is immediate.  Some benefits are long-term.  I’m Gene Gade of the University of  Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service.