Massive Tree Falling In Downtown Sacramento Prompts Concerns Drought May Have Played Role
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — A massive tree crashed on a car in the Sacramento County jurors parking lot, prompting questions whether the drought had anything to do with the sudden tumble.
A new Mazda was crushed by the 100-foot pine tree that crews spent hours removing. The owner of the car, a local 911 operator, was at work at the time and not in the car.
Sacramento County officials released the following statement on the tree that fell: "At this point we don't know the cause of the tree falling and don't want to speculate. We have an arborist looking at the tree and are assessing the situation to determine the best course of action for the rest of the trees."
While a cause hasn't been announced, crews said it appeared the root system had failed.
CBS13 spoke to Michael Dupont, a certified arborist with Capital Arborists. He says the failure highlights just how dangerous trees can be, especially in the drought. While people want to help by limiting watering, he says that could also be an issue.
"Where we see issues, people stop watering the lawn the trees in the lawn the tree stresses, the tree dies for obvious reasons, its getting no water," he said.
In other words, cutting back on grass and plant watering doesn't mean stop watering trees.
It's unknown if the trees were getting regular water, or if there simply weren't enough room for the roots, or if it was simply a freak accident that may not have been avoided.
