Changes in forest structure were monitored in areas treated with prescribed fire in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Five years after the initial prescribed fires, tree density was reduced by 61% in the giant sequoia-mixed conifer forest, with the greatest reduction in the smaller trees. This post-burn forest structure falls within the range that may have been present prior to Euroamerican settlement, based on forest structural targets developed with input from research, historic photos and written accounts. The results from this monitoring program provide an example of prescribed fire being used successfully both to reduce fuel hazard and to restore forest structure. this example may be particularly interesting to managers of other parks or wilderness areas where fire is considered the most appropriate means for restoring and managing ecosystems.