Drought blamed for trees falling in Crescenta Valley Park

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A crew member with Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation uses a chain saw to cut off branches, large and small, from a large California Live Oak that suddenly fell on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta. The tree split at the base, leaving a V of tree split, but still standing. The standing tree will be surrounded with caution tape and removed. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The enormous trunk a large California Live Oak that suddenly fell on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta. The tree split at the base, leaving a V of tree split, but still standing. The standing tree will be surrounded with caution tape and removed. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A large California Live Oak suddenly fell on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta. The tree split at the base, leaving a V of tree split, but still standing. The standing tree will be surrounded with caution tape and removed. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Crew member with Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation uses a chain saw to clear away branches, large and small, from a large California Live Oak that suddenly fell on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta. The tree split at the base, leaving a V of tree split, but still standing. The standing tree will be surrounded with caution tape and removed. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The V of a large California Live Oak that is still standing with the third large offshoot trunk visible in the center after it suddenly split and fell on Wednesday, September 2, 2015 at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta. The tree split at the base, leaving a V of tree split, but still standing. The standing tree will be surrounded with caution tape and removed. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Arin Mikailian, <i><a href=”mailto:[email protected]”> [email protected]</a></i>

Sept. 5, 2015 2:30 PM PT

Three oak trees have fallen in Crescenta Valley Park during the past few months, and it’s not because of strong winds or someone secretly chopping them down in the middle of the night.

Despite their reputation for being sturdy and able to survive without much water for long periods of time, the ongoing drought is believed to be the reason they’re falling over unexpectedly.

PHOTOS: Giant California Live Oak falls in Crescenta Valley Park

Kevin Kane, an arborist with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, said the prolonged absence of rain has led to an increased population of borer insects that eat trees such as oaks from the inside.

“I’ve never seen so much stress on trees in my experience and that goes back 25 years,” he said.

With no rainfall and a lack of irrigation, sap doesn’t flow freely through trees and makes it easier for insects to get in them and move about, Kane said.

Signs of a dying tree include leaves turning brown, trees thinning, leaves falling off the tips of the branches or branches appearing to die, said parks department spokeswoman Kaye Michaelson.

She said park patrons who see a dying tree are asked to report it by calling (818) 249-5940.

No one was injured by the fallen trees at Crescenta Valley Park, Michaelson said.

When a tree reaches its breaking point, the fall is abrupt, Kane said.

Robbyn Battles, president of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, said a pine tree fell into her neighbor’s pool last September for the same reasons Kane described. She said it’s worth getting one’s trees checked out to see if anything can be done or if they have to be removed.

“I think people should start having an arborist come out to their house because [a tree] could look perfectly healthy to you, but it’s not,” she said.

Los Angeles County firefighters met with the town council last year and recommended having drip lines installed around trees so they still get some irrigation as homeowners water lawns less because of the drought or remove their lawns altogether, Battles said.

La Crescenta resident and arborist Gary Knowlton said that while the drought is tough on trees, another issue that speeds up their demise is roots that are damaged or torn out.

He cautions homeowners to be careful when working on home-improvement projects that require digging around trees.

“The drought is a portion, but another significant portion is human activity,” Knowlton said.