Fuel succession was quantified for a 515-year chronosequence in a Tsuga heterophylla/pseudotsuga menziesii forest. Postfire stand ages selected were 1, 3, 19, 110, 181, and 515. After initial reductions due to mortality from fire in the first 3 years, live aboveground biomass in the tree component increased over time to over 1100t/ha. Shrub and herb layer biomass was highest in year 19 and 515. Dead aboveground biomass had different trends for different fuel size classes; normalized fuel loadings of five dead and down fuel categories peaked at four different stand ages: 1-h and 10-h timelag (TL) juels, age 1; 100-h TL fuels, age 19; 1000-h TL fuels, age 110;>1000-h TL fuels, age 515. Surface fire behavior was highest early in the sere and lowest at ages 110-181. Old-growth forest patches appear to be best buffered against forest fire by mature forest patches rather than old growth or recently burned natural stands.