Forest recovery from fire can take decades, even centuries, forestry official says

A burned forest ecosystem remains highly vulnerable for years after a wildfire is put out, Glafkos Kyriakou, First Forest Officer and Press Spokesman for the Forestry Department, said. Turning a burned forest area back into a mature forest takes decades, he said, and in some cases full recovery can take even centuries.

A new period begins after a fire, he explained, during which the burned ecosystem is especially vulnerable, with effects that are environmental, social and economic....