By Karen Povey, WNPF Board of Directors and Creative Partner
Now that wildfire season is winding down for the year, you may wonder how these fires – and the altered landscape left behind – impact the wildlife of our national parks.
Wildfire is a natural part of ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, having shaped the landscape and influenced wildlife habitats for millennia. Animals have evolved to live within these fire-prone ecosystems. But there’s been little research about how wildfires impact wildlife, so we have a poor understanding of this complicated dynamic. One study conducted in the aftermath of the huge Australian wildfires in 2019-20 surprisingly found that over 90% of mammals and lizards survived the initial fires.
So how do they do it? Most animals that can flee, do. Animals respond to the scents and sounds of approaching fire and leave in front of the advancing flames and smoke. Highly mobile animals in our national parks, such as birds, deer, wolves, and coyotes can all escape by foot or flight.
One firefighter deployed in North Cascades National Park observed: “Personally, I’ve seen animals fleeing from fires. Some make it, some don’t. Fires, especially in flashy fuels like grass and sagebrush, can move faster than wildlife can run. The vast majority of larger mammals tend to do fairly well. There are often birds near smoke columns of some wildfires that I’ve been on, they seem to know that insects and small vertebrates flee flames and will use fire as an opportunity to hunt.”
One animal gained fame for its inability to flee from a wildfire. In 1950, a small bear cub was rescued by forest rangers in New Mexico after it tried to escape a fire by climbing a tree, sustaining burns on his paws and hind legs. The cub’s story gained national attention, and he soon became the much-celebrated living symbol of the Smokey Bear fire prevention campaign. Smokey was flown to Washington, D.C., where he lived at the National Zoo for the rest of his life, becoming a beloved mascot of the program.
Not all animals have the physical ability to run, hop, or fly from fires. Animals that are less fleet of foot stay put and find refuge under rocks or in burrows where the temperature is cooler and less affected by the fire’s intensity. The soil insulates these creatures – rodents, rabbits, reptiles, and insects – against the worst effects of the blaze raging above.
Animals that survive the smoke and flames of an intense wildfire may be faced with a habitat that has been reduced to blackened trees or meadows turned to ash. Habitat destruction in a fire’s aftermath means loss of food, shelter, or protection from predators.
Species like elk, deer, and bears that rely on dense vegetation for foraging and cover are forced to flee to unfamiliar areas, where competition for limited resources increases. This displacement can lead to higher mortality rates than the fire itself.
Predators such as hawks and foxes flock to burned areas for easy opportunities to prey on the animals that remain.
Aquatic ecosystems also suffer from wildfires. After fires, ash, sediment, and debris may flow into rivers and streams, deteriorating water quality. Fish species like salmon and steelhead trout, which are native to the Pacific Northwest and depend on clear, cold waters for spawning, are particularly vulnerable.
It’s important to note that not all fire impacts on wildlife are negative. Fires create new habitats and food sources for species adapted to life in fire-prone environments. Small animals that remain, such as rodents and insects, may benefit from the abundance of fresh plant growth and the reduced competition of the post-fire environment. Black-backed woodpeckers flourish in burned forests, feeding on beetle larvae that feed on dead trees. Many plant species depend on fire to germinate and will quickly return to a burned area, gradually restoring the ecosystem and attracting herbivores back over time.
While wildfires are a natural process, the last decades have seen increasing intensity and frequency of these fires due to climate change. We can all do our part to protect our national park landscapes and wildlife by checking and complying with all National Park Service fire safety rules and applicable fire bans. Together, we can keep our parks thriving for future generations.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. We raise funds to preserve and protect Washington’s national parks by funding scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone. To support the parks, especially during wildfire season, visit WNPF.org/donate.
Cover photo by Karen Povey