9 Responses to “City to Inspect CdM Eucalyptus Trees After Fatality”
Comments
Brian
September 18th, 2011
Worlds tallest weed !!! Add a lerp or too and its done !
marjorie dorn
September 18th, 2011
If it appeared there was not a problem when the tree was last inspected, would mean that something happened in the short time following. IT would just make sense to remove all of them in the medium before taking another chance. It appears another one in the same area toppled not long ago but caused no damage. What are they spending the time and money for when the answer is remove them before another incident. I know I will avoid the area totally until I see it taken care of. Surely this situation is costly to loss of business in the area also.
Jamie
September 18th, 2011
Oh good lord, while I certainly feel sad for the victim and their family, there is such a thing as bad luck. You know, like driving under an overpass exactly when an earthquake hits. Sometimes stuff happens and we don't know why, but cutting down all the trees because twice in the past 20 years two have fallen on millions of passing cars, is a little bit extreme. Eucalyptus aren't called widow makers for nothing but they are planted because they grow ten feet a year and make fast wind breaks and create a spectacular canopy, until a branch falls on somebody. So let's make sure things are safe as reasonable, but don't throw out the baby with the bath water.
Dan
September 18th, 2011
If a Blue Gum Eucalyptus or other tree is leaning at such an obviously unnatural and dangerous angle as the one that killed on Irvine Ave, it should be removed.
Peggy
September 18th, 2011
@Jamie, I was in the Ralph's parking lot when this happened. It was the most horrific accident I have ever seen. The young girl was crushed & trapped under a massive 10 ton tree. She lived for an hour trapped under the tree. Yes, it was very bad luck. But referring to it "until a branch falls on somebody" is just plain rude.
simple me
September 19th, 2011
I agree with Jamie. You can not prevent every single accident. Life involves lots of risks when you walk out the door each day. Peggy, while I feel for your pain at having to deal with the trauma of seeing this accident play out. I ask you to remember that each day there are so many senseless tragedies and deaths. Branches fall, people slip, etc. Life is life. Jamie is not rude, she's simply stating the facts of living on the planet.
Jamie
September 19th, 2011
Peggy, I am so sorry you had to experience that, and I did not realize the poor lady lived an hour, OMG! I also had no intention of sounding rude so please accept my apology, my writing is often rather chipped and direct. It's not personal. However I have actually witnessed a similar, though happily not fatal situation myself. Back in the 1990's I was driving down Dover Drive just north of Cliff Drive after a rain storm and a tree fell on the car right directly in front of me. Two seconds later it would have been me that was squished. In the event I was involved in the tree was much smaller. I think there is a photo of that event in one of the local paper archives.
James
September 21st, 2011
Why plant and keep a tree that's known as a widow maker? The eucalyptus wood can be so brittle. This is not a case of good risk management at all.
gil cottrell
October 6th, 2011
I have e-mailed the city of Newport Beach on the dangers of these terrible trees. I have seen HUDE limbs fall during the winds next to my house ( three feet away) that have come within inches of crushing a baby in a stroller and her mother! The city used to trim them shorter but because of lack of funds , they now trim ( Barely at all) once every three years ( NOT ADEQUATE!). They are the favorite tree of choice of termites and spread their offspring every summer in massive swarms ( THANKS A lot!) I want them cut down! They are filthy trees that are non-native and a pest. They were never meant to be near homes. They are meant to be in open country ( Australia NOT HERE) to protect from high winds crops that are sucseptible to wind damage. They are a very dangerous treebecause of their size and weight and they break easily ( including to falling down in high winds and soft soil) Normally they grow in dry areas that hold the roots better ( Australia!!) In rainy conditions these trees are VERY dangerous and can easily crush a house ( my house has 5 within 3 to to feet away!)HELP CUT THEM DOWN. I have repeatedly call the city manager about their dangers!
