Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Foresters DO understand forest succession,
This is getting outside my area of expertise, but many large trees can survive "normal" forest fires, that is, the frequent lightning-caused burning of small brush and undergrowth in a wild forest. I don't know if the types of larger and older trees native to places like Colorado work like this, but California redwoods are supposed to be almost fireproof unless a fire burns hot enough and high enough to hit the foliage.
It may be that in some areas fires can't do nearly as good a job of clearing out trees as lumberjacks can.