If the part above ground dies but sprouts arise, they usually arise from protected dormant buds. A tree is completely killed if no sprouts develop. Tree Size Large trees have thick bark and crowns farther from the ground so they tend to suffer less damage than small trees. Less intense fires have killed back all oaks 1 to 4 inches in diameter, but only 12 percent of the oaks larger than 13 inches. The temperature of a fire varies within its various sections, its size and its burning conditions.
Small fires are usually less intense and cause less damage than large ones.
When air temperatures are low, heat is more quickly dissipated and more fire is needed to raise the temperature of plant tissues to the killing points. Thus, fi res do less damage at low winter temperatures than in spring or summer. The intensity of a fire is also affected by fuel conditions. When the debris on the ground is dry only on top, fires may start and spread but they cannot create as much heat as when all the debris burns. Similarly, where there is less fuel, the fire will be less intense.