Beavers and Wildfire
Help Beavers Fix it
Beavers and Wildfire
Act as a fire breaks
Ponds and canals of water can prevent ground fires from spreading further.
Provide refuge
Wildlife, livestock, and even people who are caught out in wildfires can seek refuge in beaver wetlands.
Beavers do it best
When waterways erode into deep single channel streams, invasive vegetation can form dense monocultures along the banks, allowing fire to spread quickly. Beaver dams and ponds help drown out invasive species, re-wetting the soil so the more fire-resistant native riparian trees and shrubs can thrive. Beavers also cut and collect plants for food, which helps keep riparian areas more open. As a result, beavers reduce fire risk without the need to manually trim back vegetation.
Wildfire Protection
Beaver wetlands are complex places, full of lush riparian vegetation and standing water. Because of this, beaver altered habitat will often remain green when wildfires burn across the landscape. Every beaver wetland is different, but expansive valley-bottom complexes with lots of canals are particularly resistant to fire. Wide beaver wetlands with lots of floodplain connection can even help protect against megafires.
During wildfires, beaver wetlands:
Diminish fire severity
Wet riparian vegetation is usually less flammable, so fires do not burn as intensely.