Question
Dear Jim,   This is a strange one for you--There was a car fire in the street in front of my home  in San Diego, Ca. about three weeks ago with alot of smoke and flames.   A few days after the fire dep't. put the fire out, I noticed the weeping willow tree, palm tree and ivy ground cover turned brown which they are now.  Is everything dead or will they come back?   What should I do?   Don Jackel  

Answer
I suspect the heat from the fire scorched the plants. To see if the plant is dead--start at the upper branches and scrape a small bit of bark off the branches--IF the color under the bark is green then the plant is alive at this point on the branch--IF the color is brown the branch is dead at this point--continue down the branch until you find green. The dead can be pruned off and let the plant resprout.  This system will work on the willow and the ivy but I am not sure about the palm. You can just wait and see and hope for the best. IF the car was not yours or maybe IF it was--you might check with the Insurance Company and file a claim for the "accident" causing damage to your plants and ask to have them replaced. I have heard of cars hitting trees and the Insurance Comapny paying for replacement but have not heard about fire--should be the same principle. Good Luck!