## 5 Conclusions  
This study, based on wood materials from a forest fire area and a neighboring forest area in Western Finland, showed fire-induced changes in the physical and mechanical properties of the sapwood of Norway spruce and Scots pine in Northern Europe. The changes in the properties were more substantial in spruce than in pine, presumably because the thinner bark, especially in the lower parts of trees, protects wood less from deterioration, and the longer crown accelerates the spread of fire in the middle and top parts of trees. In spruce, the moisture content decreased, and the color darkened compared to the reference trees. In pine, color changes were observed. Spruce wood underwent greater changes, probably due to the thinner bark and the longer crown being more susceptible to fire. The changes in mechanical properties were mostly unessential. In spruce, a slight increase in HB was observed, and in pine, a slight decrease in bending strength was observed. Due to the minor deterioration, and from a mechanical point of view, fresh wood salvaged from forest fire areas, especially Scots pine but also Norway spruce, is a potential raw material for middle-quality and low-quality sawn timber and selected end-uses where the requirements for quality are moderate and aesthetic or hygienic criteria are not critical, including the following: varieties of construction, non-food packaging and pallets, and other less sensitive uses of wood. However, most physico-mechanical properties of virgin wood change only a little in a forest fire, especially in spruce char and soot, making use difficult in many product applications and manufacturing processes. Sapwood is prone to excessive drying, which may initiate checking in wood after being sawn, sliced, or rotary cut but reduces the need for drying wood products. We recommend further studies on the following to create and develop the use of wood from forest fire areas: (1) chemical composition and surface activity of burned wood, (2) performance and usability in different types of production and products (mechanical, chemical, and hybrid), (3) potential for diversified biorefining processes and chemical treatments, and (4) technical procedures to remove or reduce char and soot in wood material before processing. Conceptualization, V.M., A.H., P.K. and E.V. ; Data curation, V.M., P.Y. and E.V. ; Formal analysis, J.M., V.M., P.Y. and E.V. ; Funding acquisition, J.M. and V.M. ; Methodology, J.M., V.M. and E.V. ; Project administration, J.M., P.K. and E.V. ; Software, J.M. and V.M. ; Supervision, V.M., A.H. and E.V. ; Validation, J.M., V.M., A.H. and E.V. ; Writing--original draft, J.M., V.M., P.Y. and E.V. ; Writing--review and editing, J.M., V.M. and E.V. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. **Funding:** This research was mainly funded by Puumiesten Ammattikasvatusssatio (The Foundation for Finnish Wood Professionals' Education), project Wood properties and product potential of forest fire damaged timber in wood product uses, project no. 41007-00246600. Additional funding was provided for working hours by Luke's strategic project PosFibes, project no. 41007-00212300, and as a grant for the M.Sc. thesis of [PERSON] by Pyhajoen Puu Oy, a wood product company located near the forest fire area in Pyhajoki, Northern Ostrobothnia. **Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable. **Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable. **Data Availability Statement:** Data are available on request from the corresponding author. **Acknowledgments:** The authors want to thank the Natural Resources Institute Finland Luke technical staff in the Joensuu Research Unit for their contribution to preparing and trimming the wood laboratory samples. [PERSON], the owner of Pyhajoen Puu Oy, participated in the preliminary discussion on the research problem and provided the site for the pre-processing of sample blocks and wood discs. The Forestry Association Pyha-Kala from Kalajoki assisted in selecting the study stands.