I doubt you have fireblight. I worried once whether I may have introduced fireblight into some trees I pruned in Utah and called up the Extension agent in Wenatchee, Washington named Tim Smith. He was and is one of the foremost fireblight experts.....he patiently explained to me that the odds were slim that I had caused it after I explained what I had done .....(I believe Tim is still there answering questions if you really need a consult....although it is better to rec people in your own state.) Weather is one of the bigger factors when it comes to fireblight....something of which you have no control....but could only maybe think about a preventative spray in the Spring. To be on the safe side, take a leaf sample in to your local nursery or local State Extension agent and let them tell you what they think you have....I don't see fireblight. By the way, pear trees live longer than almost any other tree...they are exceptionally hardy and 200 year old pear trees have been known to have been badly whacked and still come out of it....bearing fruit galore. You probably have no worries, but the only way to be sure is to take a sample to someone who actually can identify the problem. Let us know what works out or doesn't work out.

elbear: Lesson No. 1: Do not buy very large or "full size" fruit trees. They usually adapt poorly. Buy young, 2-year or at most 3-year trees, and plant very early in spring. Where you live that would be April. The later you plant, the higher the risk. Always try to plant fruit trees when they are dead dormant, never when they are leafed out. Smaller trees will catch up and pass larger ones in a 2-3 year period. And plant bare root; don't buy containerized nursery trees, once again because they adapt poorly. I mildly disagree with those who think your tree will recover, since I think it is on its way out. My guess is that the root system did not develop properly, either because it was a rootbound container tree, or because the roots could not support the large superstructure. Late planting couldn't have helped either. Branches may still have some green cambium, but that will be gone by next spring if the buds have died back. The problem is certainly not lack of water this year in NE Ohio. Folks in the West often tend to think in terms of lack of water or excess heat and sunlight because it's hot and dry where they live. That's not the case in the East, certainly not this year. You shouldn't have to water trees at all in a season like this one, although mulch is fine water or no water. It is possible to drown fruit trees by watering when there is already plenty of natural rainfall. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Tornado in my neighborhood yesterday, lost some roof shingles but didn't blow away the aphids, so I started spraying with insecticidal soap :) As for the mites, I did go look and saw a couple of spiders, which I guess are actually spider mites. I did notice spider webs almost immediately after planted but thought that was a good thing, to have spiders to eat insects. But I guess if they're mites that's a different story.

Scratch a little bark off with your finger nail and see if it's green, that would indicate it's still alive. Cut back any dead branches. It may send up some shoots, hopefully above the graft, which you can train to become the new leader.