The conditions that allow a wildland fire to hold over the winter in the duff until spring are poorly known. After a smoke report on 9 May 2011 within the area burned by the 2010 Willow Creek Fire, I was able to investigate. The fire originated near 64°41.669 x -147°56.325 and was 0.3 acres at about 19:30, burning in a patch of closed, small diameter, dense spruce with deep feathermoss duff (Figure 1). The new fire was called Seven Mile Slough (Fire 071, F3NK). Observations from the Seven Mile Slough Fire provides some insight into how and where fires may over-winter. In this case it appears to be due to dry conditions in otherwise unremarkable mid-to lower duff layers. Several questions come to mind: Did the dense spruce canopy influence duff moisture through snow and/or rainfall interception? Why was duff moisture not replenished through percolation during spring thaw? Did dry duff insulate the permafrost, allowing it to remain frozen long enough to prevent saturation of the lower duff from lower ground moisture in the spring?