From: Subject: FOR-12 WHEN A TREE BURNS...IT'S A ROTTEN SHAME! Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 12:50:26 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for12/for12.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 FOR-12 WHEN A TREE BURNS...IT'S A ROTTEN = SHAME! FOR-12 
WHEN A TREE BURNS...IT'S A ROTTEN SHAME! =
ISSUED: 3-83
REVISED:
Dr, Donald L. Fogus, Department of = Forestry;=20 Kentucky Division of Forestry.=20

After a forest fire, the = woods are=20 charred -- seedlings and saplings are killed, ground cover is burned = away, trees=20 are scorched. Years later, the forest is reseeded, greened up, and = nature seems=20 to have recuperated. But the trees that have been scarred never recover, = often=20 showing wounds like this that give way to infection, stain and decay for = the=20 rest of the lifetime of the tree.=20

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Heat from a fire's flames = damages the=20 tree bark. The bark gradually loosens, allowing insects and disease to = enter=20 which can weaken or even kill the tree.
Often the tree's wounds are hidden. The silent = spread of decay=20 goes unnoticed until the tree is cut and the rot started from the fire = scars is=20 exposed.=20

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"That fire didn't hurt the woods."
How many times have you = thought=20 that?
Don't be fooled!=20

Even though a burned hillside = may become=20 green again, there's more damage from a forest fire than meets the eye = -- the=20 disguised damage of irreversible decay that has begun inside the = remaining=20 trees.
Today's fires lead to = the decay=20 of our children's wood supply.
Once a=20 tree's been scorched, there's no way to reverse the decline in wood = quality.=20
The inside of a burned tree = looks=20 rotten!
The answer lies in = Prevention.=20
For more information, = contact the=20 Kentucky Division of Forestry or your County Extension Agent. =