Fire mitigation is the most common, simplest term used to describe a very complex forestry function. Cutting trees to increase spacing, or thinning, reduces the “fuels” of a potential fire. For the immediate area around a house the term Defensible Space is often used. When a defensible space has been created, fire will then burn less hot, and the possibility of fighting the fire is maximized. In addition, this defensible space reduces the probability that the fire will burn all the residual trees. The thinning, fuels reduction, or mitigation will also improve the health of the remaining trees, primarily because there will then be fewer trees sharing the limited amount of water. Stronger, healthier trees will also be more drought resistant, more capable of fighting disease and infestation, therefore increasing their chances of survival. Additionally, thinning clusters of trees and removing “dog hair” (dense patches of narrow diameter, bent, unhealthy trees) will allow more sunlight through to the ground and improve ground cover and in some areas encourage aspen growth, further aiding in fire mitigation. The cutting and removal of trees killed by the pine beetle is another factor in mitigation.

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