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.

---

UBC botanists explain how pyrophilous fungi, fire-loving fungi that grow in charred forests, support forest recovery by stabilizing the soil and recycling nutrients.

These species exist globally and lie dormant in the soil, waiting for fire to activate them. Unlike typical mushrooms, they thrive after fires only. They have 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 stop erosion from occuring, break down charcoal to release carbon, and even digest toxic pollutants.

"These fungi help lay the groundwork for forest recovery.... Some species digest tough chemical pollutants in the soil, helping clean and restore the landscape as they rebuild it."

— Dr. Monika Fischer, UBC Botany

Read more →