Colorado report says forests infested with beetles no more likely to burn than healthy ones
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mountain pine beetles have left vast tracts of dead, dry trees in the West, raising fears that they're more vulnerable to wildfire outbreaks, but a new study found no evidence that bug-infested forests are more likely to burn than healthy ones.
In a paper released Monday, University of Colorado researchers say weather and terrain are bigger factors in determining whether a forest will burn than beetle invasions.
The findings could provide some comfort to people who live near beetle-infested forests, if those trees are no more likely to burn.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the study acknowledges that other researchers have found that trees killed by beetles pose different fire risks.
Previous studies by the U.S. Forest Service found beetle-killed trees ignite faster and burn more quickly than healthy trees.