The Borel fire that raged through areas of the Kern River Valley not only displaced residents but also posed a significant threat to wildlife habitats and ecosystems. Wildlife experts say that while most animals can escape the immediate danger, the fire's aftermath presents challenges for their survival and adaptation.
"Majority of wildlife can get out of a fire. The ones that are most vulnerable are the young or elderly or sickly animals," Meg Maitland, Senior Director at CALM Zoo said.
During a fire, animals big and small are affected and often displaced. With fires being a natural occurrence, animals have learned to adapt to these situations.
"You'll have animals that are used to having food in one area that's not longer available to them, so they have to adapt. On occasions you'll see animals that have been pushed out of their habitat that come a little bit more close to humans and our ecosystem as well," Maitland said.
With several animals being driven out of their homes, the rebuilding of their habitat depends on the severity of the burn, according to experts.
"On the Borel Fire, there were some areas that burned very very hot, so those areas wouldn't be suitable for several years and then other areas it just went through kind of like a prescribed fire, it didn't burn as hot and so those areas rehabilitate pretty quickly," Gabe Garcia, District Manager for the Central California District Bureau of Land Management said.
Despite the destruction, fires can also have positive impacts on certain ecosystems.
"There are a lot of plant species that require heat and fire to actually germinate and be able to reproduce. It also aids in the clearing out of overgrowth and allows more sunlight in to help regenerate some of those areas that have been overrun and bring in new life," Maitland said.
Like humans, experts say it may be a while until wildlife can recover and rebuild their habitats in the areas most severely affected by the Borel fire.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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