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Nightmare Averted on Zanja Street, But Falling Trees Remain a Continuing Concern

Published on Thursday, February 23, 2017 | 6:49 am
 
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Collapsing trees continue to pose an ongoing risk to Pasadenans in the wake of a series of recent rainstorms. For one family, the nightmare of a fallen tree damaging their home on Tuesday got worse Wednesday when a second tree showed signs of imminent failure and forced the evacuation of their neighbor’s house.

Authorities who monitored that situation as it unfolded in the 600 block on Zanja Street said this morning that the homeowner “worked with her insurance company to have the second tree removed to mitigate its failure” and as of this morning, both homes can be occupied.”

No one was injured when the first tree fell on the garage Tuesday, and so far none of the other trees that fell during or immediately the recent rains in Pasadena caused any injuries, Lisa Derderian of the Pasadena Fire Department said.

During the recent series of storms, the City received reports of 21 trees that fell throughout Pasadena. Of those, 10 were City-owned trees from Pasadena’s Urban Forest inventory of more than 60,000 trees. The rest were privately owned trees on private property.

Derderian says the incidents were mostly caused by oversaturation of the trees that make them top-heavy, and ground loosened as well by the rains.

City of Pasadena Public Information Officer William Boyer said Wednesday that Pasadena residents should use only licensed contractors and certified arborists when facing the challenge of a fallen or severely leaning tree.

Boyer suggested residents ask to see a copy of the contractor’s current insurance policy and go online to check the status of a contractor’s license with the State of California at:https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx.

“The City recommends using a certified arborist to help determine the health and status of your trees,” Boyer said in a statement. “The cycle of drought and now abundant rain can put stress on trees that may otherwise look healthy. The City maintains its Urban Forest based on guidelines from the International Society of Arboriculture, which is the professional organization that also certifies tree experts. More information about finding certified arborists can be found online at www.isa-arbor.com.”

If a privately owned tree has fallen on private property, the owner is responsible for its removal. No tree removal permit is required from the city if the tree has already fallen.

If the fallen tree is a life-threatening emergency, or has damaged structures and/or utilities, Boyer said emergency responders should be summoned by calling 9-1-1.

Otherwise, he said, notify the City via the Citizen Service Center of your non-emergency tree situation. Should the tree fall into the street, please call 9-1-1 as the fallen tree can be blocking emergency vehicle access to your neighborhood.

City trees are generally located in the center medians or in the parkway strip areas along streets in the space between the sidewalk and the roadway. If there is no sidewalk on the property, it is possible that City-owned trees may still be present at the front edge of a property. When in doubt, call the Pasadena Citizen Service Center at (626) 744-7311 to request an inspection by the Department of Public Works, Parks and Natural Resources Division.

Trees that are leaning over and potentially ready to fall may also be removed without a permit once City representatives can verify the situation. If the tree is in immediate danger of falling, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, notify the City via the Citizen Service Center for help and inspection.

Boyer also said residents should report any storm damage that they have experienced to the County of Los Angeles. To complete a damage assessment survey go to www.211LA.org and click on the link for Damage Assessment Survey. At this website, residents can also find up-to-date weather info, road closures and emergency preparedness tips.

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