Century-old oak tree toppled by high winds in La Canada Flintridge
A towering oak tree that had stood for more than a century came crashing down last weekend onto the parking lot of the Lanterman House, a victim of heavy winds and rains that also felled a number of other large trees throughout La Cañada Flintridge.
The 60-foot-tall native oak had shaded most of the property’s south side and predated the Lanterman House, built in 1915, by decades, said Executive Director Melissa Patton.
“It’s a huge loss. I’m really upset about it,” Patton said Tuesday, when only a 15-foot segment of the tree’s massive trunk remained. “We have a lot of oaks on the property but this one was the biggest. It certainly was here when the home was built.”
In addition to the iconic oak, at least half a dozen other trees fell around the city late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, including several that temporarily blocked streets, La Cañada Flintridge facilities and maintenance superintendent Gonzalo Venegas said.
--Joe Piasecki, Times Community News
Photo: Lanterman House Executive Director Melissa Patton examines the remains of the 60-foot heritage oak tree that fell down onto the property's parking lot during last weekend's storm. (Joe Piasecki / Times Community News)