Tree across Road 224 in North Fork (Don Grove)
NORTH FORK — A dead pine came down suddenly with a loud “crack!” falling within a fraction of a second, says one man who was close at hand when it happened. The tree landed straight across Road 224 near Road 200 in North Fork on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 8. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that within about half-an-hour, the tree was bucked and moved out of the road, thanks in large part to neighbors and passers-by mobilizing before the public works department arrived.
Click on images to enlarge.
Images of the tree and the testimony of North Fork resident Don Grove are a reminder that these dead pines we’re surrounded by can drop with almost no warning.
“But the real story,” says Don, “is the North Fork community spirit.” When the tree fell Don was nearby taking pictures of a barn for a friend. There were two witnesses, besides him.
“One immediately went inside to call the sheriff’s department and the other stopped traffic so nobody would zip around the corner and plow into the tree. Within a few minutes a neighbor had a chainsaw and started cutting the log into pieces that could be lifted out of the way.”
Pitching in to buck the big tree (Don Grove)
Meanwhile, a vehicle stopped, and the woman inside called her husband, who quickly responded with a second chainsaw to help cut the log into pieces.
“Just as the two had most of the log cut, the Madera County road crewman arrived in a pick up truck with a snow plow in front. He pushed the cut pieces off the roadway and cleared up all the wood pieces on the road.”
Don points out that this kind of cooperative behavior is precisely the community spirit exhibited by most residents.
“Thanks to the quick actions of community members, nobody ran into the downed tree and the road was opened approximately 30 minutes after the tree went down.”
Sadly, though, the effect of gravity uprooted the nest of an owl who was apparently thrown when the tree fell. The passerby who stopped and called her husband was picking up the debris of wood pieces when she discovered the small owl lying on the road.
Owl injured when the tree fell (Don Grove)
At that time, the owl was still alive, though reported to be in bad shape. The couple headed to a shelter to see if the injured creature could be saved. Its condition is unknown at this time.
As those who were there on Road 224 yesterday would attest, with rampant tree mortality, a quiet outing in the forest can be interrupted by the sudden crack of a falling pine.
It’s a relief to know that, when the going gets rough, some people are prepared, pitching in to keep us safe in hazardous conditions.
