Tree falls during rainstorm, causes disruption
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A gigantic oak tree fell on Jan. 9 during the same rainstorm that caused devastating mudslides which led to several deaths in Montecito and other parts of Southern California.
The tree collapsed between the MS and S buildings near the South Parking Lot, prompting for the whole tree to be removed.
“The foundation of the tree got soft when it rained,” Campus Supervisor Andrew Contreras said. “The heavy weight from the top toppled down. I think it happened during the evening.”
Upon further investigation, rain was not the sole factor why the tree crashed.
“The district ground maintenance and facilities came to examine [the tree],” Matthew Dultz, Assistant Principal of Business and Activities, said. “After inspecting, it looked like it was diseased.”
After the examination, it was decided to remove the ill plant.
“A tree logging company came on Saturday to chop down the rest of the tree,” Contreras said. “The tree was so big that they had to cut [the tree] into three sections.”
Although trees rarely collapse on campus, this is not the first time it has happened; trees near the band room fell over due to heavy storms a couple years ago.
“It’s such a beautiful tree, and it’s a bummer that it fell,” Idina Serrano, Workforce Development Technician, said. “Other than that, I think the bigger picture is that no one got hurt.”
