Forests are burning all over the world, on an ever-larger scale and with ever-greater frequency. In a matter of hours, the flames destroy what took centuries to grow. Yet after a short time, fungi, microorganisms and beetles emerge like a phoenix from the ashes and colonise the burnt matter. Scientists are investigating how forests regenerate after fires and what the forests of the future might look like. The film examines burnt areas in the USA and Europe and explores the question: what comes after a forest fire?