Dataset for: Efficacy of prescribed fire as a fuel reduction treatment in the Colorado Front Range

Prescribed fires are an important management tool for reducing fuels and
returning fire to the landscape. However, rarely are changes in fuels
fully quantified using pre- to post-prescribed fire measurements, and
those studies that do exist show variable results. In the southern
Rockies, little literature exists on the impacts of prescribed fires, thus
we examined multiple prescribed fires in northern Colorado to understand
fire effects and changes in fuel complexes. Most prominently, prescribed
fires influenced litter, duff, and rotten coarse woody debris but did not
influence other surface fuels. Crown base height increased and tree
density decreased, while basal area was relatively unimpacted. Season of
burning impacted fire effects as substrate burn severity, bole char, and
crown volume scorched were highest in summer and fall. Continued
monitoring of prescribed fires is critical to understand the influence of
prescribed fire on wildfires and ultimately improving prescribed fire
outcomes.