Falling trees claim 2 lives in a month, less than 5 miles apart
ISSAQUAH, Wash. - In a split second and a sudden crack, lives were forever changed. Within a single month, less than five miles apart, falling trees claimed two lives in western Washington.
A woman was driving in traffic on Issaquah-Hobart Road when a tree came crashing down from an uphill embankment. She was killed right at the intersection of May Valley Road. According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, a deadly "snag" tree is likely to blame. Investigators can tell this due to the tree’s decaying interior trunk described as "wet, spongy and rotten".
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‘They cannot live here’: Windstorm topples tree in Lynnwood, damaging 4 mobile homes
Saturday’s heavy winds uprooted a large evergreen in the Martha Lake Mobile Manor on Lakeview Road. The fall damaged four mobile homes, some of which were occupied at the time.
Mere weeks before, a man driving on Highway 18 was struck and killed by a tree. He was right near the Issaquah-Hobart Road exit. Eastside Fire and Rescue responded to both fatal incidents.
"It's part of living in Washington," said Lt. Ian D’Ambrosia with Eastside Fire and Rescue. "You've got all the beauty with all the trees, but there's also some hazards that come with it."
In addition to the two fatalities, within the last few weeks Lt. D'Ambrosia's colleagues also responded to a downed pine tree in Woodinville. The towering tree landed squarely on the roof of an unoccupied sedan.
"There's a lot of weight involved, a lot of limbs," D'Ambrosia noted. "Even noticing a tree is coming down is very difficult."
The responsibility for fallen trees on a right of way remains unclear. Could private property owners be held liable? Certified arborist Sal Noeldner explained that the answers to those questions are murky.
"There aren't any rules that require landowners or tree managers to actually hire a certified arborist to come out and check out their trees," Noeldner explained.
He explained once an area is clear-cut and pavement is laid, trees naturally begin to lean towards sunlight, forming a tunnel over the road. However, as the roots and trunks creep closer to the pavement, particularly at the edges of streets, it becomes a problem.
"Edges are a pretty harsh growing environment. You have increased wind and sun exposure," Noeldner stated. "It creates a harder place for a healthier tree to be."
Noeldner stressed the importance of analyzing these trees growing on edges. When a windstorm comes through or the ground is oversaturated, they're the first to come crashing down.