The wind patterns in your area may have changed as a result of the 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. A scorched tree is one that has lost part or all of its leaves or needles. Healthy deciduous trees are resilient and may produce new branches and leaves as well as sprouts at the base of the tree. Evergreen trees may survive when partially scorched. An evergreen tree that has been damaged by fire is subject to bark beetle attack.