Lightning strikes the dry material, which ignites, while meanwhile down on the forest floor A proliferation of the spruce budworm in the New Brunswick is raising the risk of forest fires, according to Universite de Montreal researcher James . The budworm denudes trees and leaves vast areas of standing dead and dry wood in its wake, ready to be ignited. The budworm outbreak has already had an adverse economical impact. "Most of those trees don't get harvested, they don't go to the sawmill, profits aren't made," said James . The severe defoliation is expected to cost the forest industry in US alone 40 over the years .
A proliferation of the spruce budworm in the New Brunswick is raising the risk of forest fires, according to Universite de Montreal researcher James . The budworm denudes trees and leaves vast areas of standing dead and dry wood in its wake, ready to be ignited. The budworm outbreak has already had an adverse economical impact. "Most of those trees don't get harvested, they don't go to the sawmill, profits aren't made," said James . The severe defoliation is expected to cost the forest industry in US alone 40 over the years .