Midstory removal of encroaching species has minimal impacts on fuels and fire behavior regardless of burn season in a degraded pine-oak mixture

•Midstory thinning reduced basal area and canopy cover.•Thinning increased pine needle contribution to the fuelbed.•Thinning reduced encroaching species contribution to the fuelbed.•Thinning had no impact on fire behavior during any season.•Intense thinning is needed to remove encroaching species in the overstory.