Just about one year ago Wantastiquet Mountain experienced a significant forest fire across the river from Brattleboro. The area that burned is visible this spring and I decided to take a walk with my camera to see the changes. Finding the area was not difficult but the terrain is steep and rocky.
This wasn’t just a brush fire, but a true forest fire with many of the larger trees destroyed. Over fairly large areas, none of the smaller trees or shrubs such as rhododendron survived. I noticed a number of trees in the 6 inch range with the bark split open. I would guess the intense heat rapidly expanded the tree and caused the bark to split.
Some of the larger trees show life in their crown but have none of the lower branches you would expect. Trees that did not survive still have life in their roots and are putting up new shoots all around their base. Over the next few years the area should explode with new growth and provide food for a variety of wildlife.
A year after the fire, photos on Flickr
Gary King