<p>Forest fires cause damage to ecosystems, lead to soil degradation, and significantly increase water and sediment yield (WYLD/SYLD), thereby exacerbating erosion risks such as landslides/mudslides. This study examined wildfire impacts on hydro-sediment cycles in China's fire-prone Zhangweinan Canal basin using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modeling. Model validation results showed NSE/R² &gt; 0.6 (up to 0.8), confirming the reliability of the model. The fire was modeled to occur in 1976 in forested areas (subbasin 19) considering precipitation, slope gradient, and land use. The seven wildfire scenarios were designed to quantify fire severity gradients (low/medium/high), post-fire land management strategies (logging/natural restoration/straw mulching), and fire spread. The ten model parameters influencing runoff and soil erosion were properly modified for each scenario using literature values. Simulation results showed an increase in WYLD and SYLD, suggesting that wildfires have a stronger impact on sediment. Analysis of fire severity showed that low-severity fires significantly affected WYLD; WYLD growth rate decelerated with increasing fire intensity, whereas SYLD exhibited exponential growth with fire severity. Regarding post-fire management strategies, the percentage increases in WYLD and SYLD caused by logging exceeded the reductions through straw mulching in subbasin 19 under high-severity fire. Fire spread analysis showed a quadratic relationship between runoff (FLOW)/sediment load (SED) and burned area. The paper provides insights for studying the effects of forest fires and post-fire mitigation measures on hydro-sediment cycles in a fire-prone basins globally. Future studies should focus on further increasing post-fire management measures, carrying out medium- and long-term planning for post-fire management, and analyzing the coupled effects of climate change and wildfires on the hydro-sediment impacts in basins.</p>