Tree branch fell off and landed on a lower branch and my roof...

[miamicuse]

I would appreciate some advice on a rather tricky situation.

The tree in question is located in Miami, Florida, zone 10b. I am not sure what kind of tree it is, except that it's a big tree with big aerial roots that grows into woody trunks...I do have a thread in the Tree ID forum here.

http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threa...-swallowing-up-other-trees.36232/#post-534006

Early this morning a tree branch came down on my roof, it was so loud it sounded like a truck ran into the wall.

The good news is after I climbed up to the roof and as far as I can see, there is no roof damages.

The bad news is the broken branch is huge. The break off point is very high up, may be 40 feet in the air, when it came down, it was stopped on one side by my flat roof, and on the other side by at a "Y" formed by the main trunk and a lower branch. Now what makes it even more complicated, is that there is a power line - the line that goes from the property corner power pole to my house's weatherhead - that runs pass that tree, and right now, the broken branch is sitting up in the air, and this power line passes 2" under it. It's a miracle that it was stopped just above the line or else it would surely have dragged the line down with it.

Here is a picture of the tree showing the broken branch, due to all the leaves it's really difficult to make out what is what, so I have posted right below the same picture, with the actual branch outlined in red, as well as the location of the power line.

This is a closeup of the spot where it broke off, it's so high up I can't make it out clearly. There are some dark spots, not sure if it's some sort of rot?

Here is the same tree branch and power line from a different angle, right below this is again, the same picture, with the fallen branch outlined in red, and the power line in yellow.

This is a view from the roof. The portion that fell on the roof is smaller.

So I have a few questions.

(1) The branch (with all it's smaller branches) is now sitting on my roof and a lower branch of that tree. The power line under it is being threatened. I have placed a few calls to tree trimming and removal companies, but being it's a Sunday no one can come out today. I have an appointment tomorrow morning but I am wondering what kind of professional I need. Do I need a tree trimming / removal company to safely remove the branch, or do I need someone specialized in utility clearing?

(2) Can this branch be safely removed without putting strain on the power line underneath? Or I need to contact the power company to come disconnect the line, remove the branch, and reconnect the line? This is in a side yard with limited space, there is no access for a bucket truck or crane.

(3) What could cause such a big branch to fall off like this? Is this an indication of this tree being sick - rotted - decay from whatever? Can the tree company tell me the answer? If the branch is removed can I look at the branch where it broke off and that would give me the answer?

Thanks in advance for any comment!

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Be sure to get an up to date liability and workers Comp. certificate from whoever you hire

Ask for referrals when you get an estimate. They should be able to provide three clients from the last two weeks.

Don't pay a penny until the job is completed

Ask lots of questions about how they plan on doing the work.

You might find that the local electric utility donthe work but not likely since its past the pole

Be a smart consumer. There are plenty of weasels in any business

 

[RoyalTree]

I am always hesitant to give me opinion based on pictures but I can not see that being a very complicated job.

Fpl will not come clear that branch unless it took down the cable, any competent tree company around here should be able to help you out.

Give me a call in the morning if you want and I can guide you in the right direction if you want.

David
3/9782565

 

[cerviarborist]

It looks from photos as though that ficus has been topped sometime in the past. It's sprouted a bunch of shoots at the point of the topping cut that are poorly attached and one of them appears to have broken off and fallen on your roof. Ficus grow to be huge trees and are typically beset by lots of fungi and insect pests. They're a tropical tree and their growth strategy is to grow quickly and to outgrow pests and disease attacks, rather than to produce strong reaction wood in response to wounds. I should also mention that this is a tree which can get really huge (Banyan sized). You may want to have a consulting arborist come out to help you decide what you want to do about managing the ficus long term. You'll pay a consulting fee, but you should get unbiased advice from someone who's not there to sell you something. Depending upon the proximity of the house drop electrical line and the branch to the rest of the utility grid, competent tree workers might be able to have the branch safely rigged off the house drop without approaching the rest of the power grid. These are things you'll need to have an expert look at in person before they'll be able to advise you. I'd suggest going online to www.isa-arbor.com and using their "Find an Arborist" matrix to search for arborists with the qualifications you need for your particular assignment.

 

[evo]

Buy me and my guy a plane ticket, put us up for an few days and kick us down a few bills and we will get that tree figured out for you right quick like.


On a serious note the hanger looks like it could be fairly cake (if it is as straight forward as it seems)... I am clueless on all else. It's as far as you can get from me in the lower 48

 

[miamicuse]

OK the tree company came this morning and they assured me they are able to get the branch off safely by getting the branch tied to a higher branch and they had two guys pulling the rope on the ground as they made the cut. So I hired them after verifying they are licensed, insured and bonded.

It took a while for them to tie up the branch and after cutting, they lowered the tied up branch slowly to the ground. I took some pictures of the branches as they chopped into smaller manageable pieces. The cuts are clean, I didn't see any rot or decay.

This is the section that broke off. It's all solid.

The tree company couldn't tell me what caused the branch to fall...he said it could be wind, could be lightning stikes...wouldn't a lightning strike leave burnt marks?

Here is a picture of where it was broken off higher up, I was able to take a better picture after everything was cleared away.

I think the idea of getting an arborist to tell me the best way to manage this tree is a good idea.