The fire would continue smoldering for weeks if we did not stop it, and it could start a bigger fire a month or more later if the weather turned dry and winds fanned it back to life. The 7th was clear and warm with a forecast of high winds at night, so we spread out ashes and shovelled snow onto the hot spots. After that, we checked it daily for a while to make sure it was out. There will be dense needles and small branches to dig up this Summer and burn in the Fall.