Sites that have regenerated after a fire present unique conditions for the release of natural regeneration. For example, the high density of regeneration on jack pine sites leads to a high treatment cost for precommercial thinning. In addition, on sites where the trees have not been harvested after the fire, the large quantity of standing burned stems poses an increased safety risk to the workers. In this study, a mechanized release treatment reduced the cost of precommercial thinning in high-density stands and permitted treatment of stands that had not been harvested after fire.