After the Burn

After the Burn. Blooming Through the Black. , You are standing near the edge of the largest wildfire ever recorded in the Black Hills. In 16 days during August and September 2000, the Jasper Fire consumed 83,508 acres of timber and meadows, leaving a blackened landscape in its wake., Even as the charred land was still smoldering, the recovery process had already begun., Insect photo caption: Insects and fungus rush to freshly burned forests, quickly beginning the process of decomposition, returning the trees' nutrients to the soil., Weed photo caption: The invasion of noxious weeds is a major concern where fire consumed the ground cover, where there are no trees for shade, and where firefighting equipment disturbed the soil., Pine cone photo caption: In this ponderosa pine forest, regeneration depends on soil conditions, the availability of seed sources, and competition from other vegetation. Many areas will reseed themselves, while others require replanting., Look Out! Burned areas are dangerous places! Standing burned trees have extremely weak root structures and may fall at any time, even if there is no wind.