- Burned trees may have lost stability and fall due to fire damage; visually check stability. Winds are normally responsible for toppling weakened trees. Wind patterns in your area may have changed due to loss of adjacent tree cover. Look for burns on the tree trunk. If the bark on the trunk has been burned off or scorched by very high temperatures completely around the circumference, the tree will not survive. Where fire has burnt deep into the trunk, the tree should be considered unstable.Look for burnt roots by probing the ground with a rod around the base of the tree and several feet away from the base. Roots are generally six to eight inches below the surface. If the roots have been burned, you should consider this tree very unstable, and it may be toppled by wind.