Above: I took this photo in August of 2009. This tree is located in the area above where Dodge set his escape fire. His fire burned the bark near the base of the tree, but the escape fire actually helped the tree survived because it also burned the fuels around it. As a result, the really hot (blow-up) fire left this and the neighboring trees alone. Unfortunately the tree was killed by pine bark beetles within the past few years. I am pointing to sap coming out of a hole where a beetle bored in to lay its eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae kill the tree. Several trees in the area above the escape fire have been killed by beetles in recent years.

Below: This tree, which also survived because of the escape fire, has suffered a similar fate as evidenced by the numerous sap flows. Sometimes healthy trees with lots of moisture can extrude enough sap to keep the beetles from entering. This tree was unsuccessful. Another beetle-killed tree can be seen in the background. Infestation by pine bark beetles has become a huge problem in the forests of western Montana.