FIRE HAZARD IN BUDWORM-KILLED BALSAM FIR STANDS ON CAPE-BRETON HIGHLANDS

The forests subject to budworm attack in eastern Canada vary considera bly in tree species composition, and the severity of fire weather in t hose regions also varies. It is likely, therefore, that fire hazard or fire potential in budworm-damaged forest has complex causes. A forest of mixed conifers near the Aubinadong River in central Ontario repres ents probably one extreme situation, that of an abundance of combustib le surface and aerial fuels coupled with high fire weather severity. T his has resulted in many fires that are difficult to control. Then the re are the pure and mature balsam fir stands of the Cape Breton Highla nds in Nova Scotia, which have no apparent fire history and represent the other extreme: no accumulation of combustible surface fuels and lo w fire weather severity. A systematic study was undertaken between 197 9 and 1988 in the Highlands, following a major budworm epidemic in the 1970's, to measure fire hazard quantitatively by monitoring changes i n fuel distribution, and to evaluate fire weather severity and its sea sonality. The results indicate that the cool and moist climate of the Highlands decomposed dead fuels rapidly, and there was little accumula tion of surface combustibles. Furthermore, fire weather severity is lo w, and even when an unexpected drought occurs, direct attack and attai nment of control of wildfire in these stands can be achieved with exis ting resources.