Have you ever been there when a tree has failed naturally ?

[Matthew Arnold]

I was checking out a sizeable crack willow as a member of the public was concerned by the amount of squeaking and clicking coming from it. As i was surveying it, it failed as i was next to the base. My heart was bouncing off my chest for about 30 mins afterwards. Also whilst on my rounds we heard a loud crack and tear from our big oaks on Stour Meadows. We walked over and saw this big limb hanging. Fracture was caused by a weak union.

[Mortimer Firewood]

Ive got an ancient grove of chestnut trees a stones throw from my house they have had a disease for the last 15 years and ive seen some huge bows fail in the last lot of wind we had. One of them has began to lean over its going to fall real soon just hope im about to see it its got to weigh 40 tone plus . When i get my together ill upload some.

[Old WoodChip]

I stopped the car once to open a gate, drove through, went back to shut the gate and as I turned a limb came down that would have put a huge ridge in the roof, probably down to seat level.

Scary

[MattyF]

Dead wooded some beech in Royston park for NHDC the climber who was on the tree noticed a large crack in a large primary limb we rang the tree officer and went onto the other side of the park to fell a dead cedar and whilst having are Sarnies the beech collapsed!!right over a play area people were screaming and thought all hell had broken lose by the time we arrived realised no one was under it was a relief...but got the adrenalin pumping!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I was checking out a sizeable crack willow as a member of the public was concerned by the amount of squeaking and clicking coming from it. As i was surveying it, it failed as i was next to the base. My heart was bouncing off my chest for about 30 mins afterwards. Also whilst on my rounds we heard a loud crack and tear from our big oaks on Stour Meadows. We walked over and saw this big limb hanging. Fracture was caused by a weak union.

 

that oak lim looked like an old crosser, that welded but had white rotters playing shanannigans.

 

no it dont! but theres defo some old wood in that image

[Tully]

Had a large limb drop from a massive vet sweet chestnut on a still summers day which was interesting as it wasn't a tree we had picked up to keep an eye on.

 

Came across a birch with what looked like bleeding canker but more yellower than normal. Didn't like the look of it so put it down to be climbed and reduced the week after. 2 days later the tree failed at the base and fell on a static caravan. had to mewp it off.

 

The stem was highly compromised with white rot and was as soft as bread. The crown was showing no signs of stress or lack of vigor.

[Ian Flatters]

Only once when we had that windy spell in 2007 6 of us went to removed a huge beech that had fallen across the main road from earlham park. About half way through the job one about 30m down the road fell across it too (only a medium sized one) they both had merip noted on inspection in previous years. other than that i've only ever attended the aftermath.

 

 

Does a larger climber on a horizontal Tree of heaven limb count? It was very funny to watch.

[Chris Gagen]

wasn't there when it happened but i'd gone along to investigate the small upper limb which i'd been told needed clearing, only to find the lower one on the ground as well!... oh well, more firewood!

[tommer9]

Working near falmouth in the wind a few years ago, we had taken out a big mac over 2 days, went back to finish the clear up on the third day, and 3 trees came down, one in moderate wind, the root plate gave up, and the other 2 when the wind started really gusting- we had to cut one up to get out of the property! Alot of trees had been taken out from that site previously apparently, evidently causing the now exposed trees more stress than they were used to. The first that came down was a tall radiata, and narrowly missed what must have been a pretty old magnolia!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

wasn't there when it happened but i'd gone along to investigate the small upper limb which i'd been told needed clearing, only to find the lower one on the ground as well!... oh well, more firewood!

 

notice the weathered wood within the upper region of the oak fork, was active for a long time before failing and would have been picked up on a survey (a decent one!)

 

My only worry in a thread like this is it tends to paint an image that is "exaggerated" we have to remember, were out there all the time.

 

I dont think many days a year pass without me being in or near to woodlands, and my spare time among vets exclusively, so I have a pretty extreme experience as does anyone involved in the business of trees.

 

* To the public- your only twice as likely to be harmed by trees as you are lightning