Fire damaged sugar maple. Any action I should take to protect the tree? - Ask Extension
My neighbor had a shed that caught fire about a week ago. The shed was right on our shared fence line and the heat from the fire has damaged the suga...
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Fire damaged sugar maple. Any action I should take to protect the tree? #872963
Asked June 13, 2024, 1:47 PM EDT
My neighbor had a shed that caught fire about a week ago. The shed was right on our shared fence line and the heat from the fire has damaged the sugar maple that overhangs that fence. The damage goes all the way up the canopy of the tree. The tree itself didn't burn, but the leaves are brown and wilted. Should I expect the tree to recover without any intervention? Is there anything I should be doing to help it recover?
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Hi Brian and thanks for your question about your fire damaged sugar maple tree. The first and best thing to do for the tree is give it water and keep it watered this summer with a soaker hose for slow release of water. Place the hose around the drip line of the tree and give it a soak every week or so.
Don't prune off any branches yet until next year when you can see which ones will actually be dead. Your tree looks like it has plenty of still healthy limbs, so I give it a good prognosis for recovery if it is not stressed further by excessive heat, drought or fertilizer this summer.
Crossing my fingers for you...
Don't prune off any branches yet until next year when you can see which ones will actually be dead. Your tree looks like it has plenty of still healthy limbs, so I give it a good prognosis for recovery if it is not stressed further by excessive heat, drought or fertilizer this summer.
Crossing my fingers for you...
