Montana Wildfire Site Sold Out Carbon Credits in 6 Weeks

When wildfires destroy forests, the usual response is to pile up dead trees and burn them, releasing even more carbon into the air. A Seattle company just proved there's a better way, and major corporations are rushing to support it.

Mast Reforestation sold all 4,277 carbon credits from its Montana project in under six weeks. The company buried fire-killed trees instead of burning them, trapping carbon underground while making space to replant the forest.

The Wood Preserve MT1 project restored 900 acres of southern Montana forestland devastated by a severe 2021 wildfire. By burying the burned trees instead of burning them, Mast prevented stored carbon from entering the atmosphere and earned verified carbon removal credits.

Global companies including Bain & Company, BMO, and Royal Bank of Canada snapped up the credits. The rapid sellout happened just weeks after the credits were issued in January 2026 under the Puro.earth registry.

What makes this special is the speed. Mast completed the project in just nine months from construction to credit issuance, far faster than typical carbon removal projects that take years. The company delivered verified, durable carbon removal on a timeline that proves climate solutions can move quickly.

The Ripple Effect

The money from these credit sales is already funding active restoration work on the ground. Planting crews are restoring the forest ecosystem right now, turning burned land back into thriving habitat.

This marks the first time biomass burial carbon credits have directly financed post-wildfire reforestation and ecosystem recovery. The model creates a funding cycle where climate action pays for nature restoration.

Sam Israelit from Bain & Company praised the project for combining "durable carbon removal with meaningful post-wildfire recovery." The approach delivers environmental benefits while helping communities and ecosystems bounce back from disaster.

Mast is scaling up fast. The company plans to complete a second project in 2026 and aims to remove 150,000 tons of carbon annually by 2030 across western North America.

CEO Grant Canary calls the sellout "validation of this new pathway for financing wildfire recovery." As wildfires become more frequent and severe, this model offers hope that destruction can become an opportunity for restoration.