We had just started on our afternoon walk. About a half a block into the walk we looked up and noticed a huge column of smoke billowing up. The smoke looked like that of a structure fire. It was. We rounded the corner as the first fire truck arrived.
Fire Department
Burning tree now behind traffic cones and tape
Remember the burning tree we posted about nearly a week ago? Here is the link to that post.
No smoke was visible when the photo was taken
Apparently the Fire Department or the Street Department or somebody decided that this smoldering tree should at least be roped off to keep the public away and safe. They first wanted to just let it burn and “it would eventually fall into the river”.
Call 911 that tree is on fire
Sycamore on fire on backside
Today was the first day in about a week when the sun was out and the temperature was above freezing. We were driving on a road next to a city park when our son noticed what looked like smoke coming from the tree line at the edge of the park. Not thinking much of it, we drove on, and saw lots of geese on the river past the park. But, we all kept taking about that smoke we saw. We circled back around and drove into the park where the small column of smoke still billowed.
Our son walked over to the tree line and found that an old sycamore tree was in fact on fire! I walked over to the tree and saw actual flames and several square feet of charred trunk surface. We called the Fire Department Admin office who directed us to call 911. We did.
Lots of equipment for one tree
Well, a few minutes later here came one of the city’s large aerial ladder trucks. Two firefighters got out of the truck, one with a water extinguisher and went to our smoking tree. Long story short, they determined that the tree was hollow, and the “blaze” no doubt started by homeless people. Two other trees in this park had also had evidence of a fire started at the base.
They kind of knocked down the embers on the charred trunk. The Street Department was called. Those two fellows said they were ok if they let it burn, and eventually it would fall into the river. The Fire Department agreed. So there is now an old hollow sycamore tree slowly burning on the edge of a city park. Hope the city is right and it will fall towards the river instead of into the park.
Roadtirement 