Can't help it. If a tree sees a model plane that's made out of balsa, it naturally assumes it's looking to come home and the tree just runs right out and grabs it.

As far as the battery is concerened it's like this

If it did not smoke/burn in the first 15 minutes it is not going to smoke/burn. As was already mentioned it's probably completely discharged by now and most likely it has been discharged past the point when you can even recharge it safely so again, so it's toast.

As far as the radio gear being destroyed, if the plane is so high up how can you even tell for sure that the gear is destroyed. Even with binoculars that would be hard to tell for sure. The gear needs to be connected and tested that way.

Someone asked why would you run a battery that could litterally burn up your plane. I'll say this. I have a couple of electrics and the power output of Lipo batts in amazing. Outrunner motors just love them and not to mention the weight savings. With care, these batteries are as safe and any other.

I use Li-Ion's in most all of my planes. As an example, I have a 4800Mah 7.4 volt Li-ion from Fromeco. It is regulated to 5.9 volts using their Super Regulated Switch and has roughly 20 flights on it and it still shows 7.6 volts under a one amp load. A Nicad/NIMH battery of the same size would be enormously heavy where this Li-ION pack is 6.4oz's. Fromeco suggests recharging at 7.2 volts and and never let the battery get below 7.0 volts. A complete setup like this (Battery and Regulated Switch) weighs less than most 2000Mah NIMH batteries alone that I would need to power my digital servos for 4 flights in my large scale planes

I love the idea of charging these batteries about once or twice a month and being able to fly the planes when everyone else has to recharge.

Another good thing about them is they can take many more recharge cycles that any NiCad and NiMH batteries and do not lose hardly any charge if they are just sitting around and not connected to anything. I have another Fromeco 2400Mah Li-ION that I fully charged 3 months ago and sat it on my desk and I installed it last night into a GP Ultimate for the ignition and it was still at 8.3 volts and a full charge is 8.4 volts. Total weight for the battery and switch/regulator was 4.7 ounces

Yes they are more expensive at the beginning but the prices are really coming down