Burnt Tree-Will it Live?

Q: My neighbor was burning debris and the fire spread into my yard while I was away on vacation. My thirty-foot-tall cedar tree is brown on one side. The top and one small side are still green. Is there anything I can do to save it?

A: This is a situation where only time will give an answer to the problem. We’ll just have to wait and see how much of the tree was truly affected by the heat. Sometimes branches that look brown will sprout back out. There’s no real danger in leaving the tree up for a while just to assess what happens. After one year, if branches seem dead and are falling from the tree, then you can remove them. The tree may be misshapen but could still live a long life.