Acadia National Park - Fire Aftermath

The aftermath of the 1947 fire in Acadia National Park. (NPS Photo) Research on fire occurrence in Acadia National Park indicates that large, naturally caused fires are not as common as in many of the western parks. The cool, humid, coastal climate and low occurrence of natural ignition sources such as lightning makes these fires relatively rare. The 1947 Bar Harbor fire, which was Acadia"s last major fire, burned approximately one third of Mount Desert Island and was human-caused.

In all, 17,188 acres burned. Over 10,000 acres of this was in the park. Property damage exceeded twenty-three million dollars. Considering the magnitude of the fire, loss of human life was minimal. Although the 1947 fire was both sparked and extinguished by man"s actions, nature played the predominant role in the island"s restoration. The forests that exist today regrew naturally. Wind carried seeds back into burned areas and some deciduous trees regenerated by stump sprouts or suckers.

Today"s forest, however, is often different than what grew before the fire. Spruce and fir that reigned before the fire have given way to sun-loving trees, such as birch and aspen. But these deciduous trees are short-lived. As they grow and begin to shade out the forest floor, they provide a nursery for the shade-loving spruce and fir, which may eventually reclaim the territory.