Fire-Loving Fungi Spark B.C. Forest Revival

Mushrooms — what can't they do?

STARTER STATS

• During the 2025 wildfire season, more than 8.7 million hectares were burned, making it the second-worst season on record behind 2023's 17 million hectares.

• Over half of the burned area in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and in Northeast British Columbia, endured a 6-7-year drought, with 10% of the Prince George Fire Centre's land burned in the prior two years alone (more than the previous 60 years combined).

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UBC botanists explain how pyrophilous fungi — fire-loving fungi that sprout up in charred forests — support forest recovery by stabilizing soil and recycling nutrients.

These species lie dormant in soil globally, waiting for fire to activate them. Unlike typical mushrooms, they thrive only after fires, forming colourful cup-shaped bodies in neon orange, purple, or brown-and-white cups. Appearing within weeks once moisture returns, they bind burned, water-repellent soil to curb erosion, break down charcoal to release carbon, and even digest toxic pollutants.

“These fungi help lay the groundwork for forest recovery, turning blackened soil into a foundation for new life.”

— Dr. Monika Fischer, UBC Botany

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