Help Beavers Fix it
Beavers and Wildfire

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.¹ Every beaver wetland is different, but expansive valley-bottom complexes with lots of canals are particularly resistant to fire.² Wide beaver wetlands with lots of floodplain connection can even help protect against megafires.³

During wildfires, beaver wetlands:

Diminish fire severity
Wet riparian vegetation is usually less flammable, so fires do not burn as intensely.⁴

Act as a fire breaks
Ponds and canals of water can prevent ground fires from spreading further.⁵

Provide refuge
Wildlife, livestock, and even people who are caught out in wildfires can seek refuge in beaver wetlands.⁶

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.⁷

Scientific Citations

1 – Dunn, S., Rathburn, S., & Wohl, E. (2024). Post‐fire sediment attenuation in beaver ponds, Rocky Mountains, CO and WY, USA. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 49(13), 4340-4354. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5970 

2 – Rice, J., Bardsley, T., Gomben, P., Bambrough, D., Weems, S., Leahy, S., … & Joyce, L. (2017). Assessment of watershed vulnerability to climate change for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests, Utah. https://doi.org/10.2737/rmrs-gtr-362 

3 – Burgher, J. (2025). Beaver‐related restoration and freshwater climate resilience across western North America.  Restoration Ecology, 34(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70194 

4 – Weirich III, Joseph John, “Beaver moderated fire resistance in the North Cascades and potential for climate change adaptation” (2021). EWU Masters Thesis Collection. 660. https://dc.ewu.edu/theses/660 

5 – Fairfax, E. and Whittle, A. (2020), Smokey the Beaver: beaver‐dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western USA. Ecol Appl. Accepted Author Manuscript. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2225

6 – Wohl, E., Castro, J., Cluer, B., Merritts, D., Powers, P., Staab, B., … & Thorne, C. (2021). Rediscovering, Reevaluating, and Restoring Lost River-Wetland Corridors. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.653623 

7 – Baker, B., Ducharme, H., Mitchell, D., Stanley, T., & Peinetti, H. (2005). INTERACTION OF BEAVER AND ELK HERBIVORY REDUCES STANDING CROP OF WILLOW. Ecological Applications, 15(1), 110-118. https://doi.org/10.1890/03-5237