A small utility pole, pictured at center, kept a large oak tree from falling on a home on Manhattan Avenue, next to Woodland Elementary School, for a few hours on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. The tree was estimated to be about 75 years old and weigh roughly 10 tons. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was updated at 10 p.m. Dec. 30.
A small utility pole kept a large, leaning oak tree, estimated to weigh about 10 tons, from falling on a home on Manhattan Avenue, next to Woodland Elementary School, for several hours on Thursday morning.
Emergency workers were assessing how to remove the oak tree late Thursday morning. Barnhart Crane and Rigging was called to help find city workers and tree crews find a solution.
In the meantime, Manhattan Avenue was closed near Woodland Elementary School.
The tree is estimated to be about 75 years old, and it pulled up its roots when it started falling—before being stopped by the utility pole.
Emergency crews said they hadn’t seen anything like it before. They said they’ve seen smaller trees crush larger poles. One person described it as “amazing.”
But after a few hours, the tree fell onto the home, which is next to Woodland and reported to be vacant, crushing the utility pole. A tree crew quickly started cutting the tree and removing it from on top of the house. Despite the size of the tree, there wasn’t any clear visible damage to the home.
No injuries were reported.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
A small utility pole, pictured at center, kept a large oak tree from falling on a home on Manhattan Avenue, next to Woodland Elementary School, for a few hours on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016. The tree was estimated to be about 75 years old and weigh roughly 10 tons. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Initially stopped by a small utility pole, this large oak tree fell on a home on Manhattan Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood early Thursday afternoon, Dec. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Initially stopped by the small utility pole pictured crushed at center, this large oak tree fell on a home on Manhattan Avenue in the Woodland neighborhood early Thursday afternoon, Dec. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
A tree crew cuts a large oak tree that fell on a home on Manhattan Avenue early Thursday afternoon, Dec. 29, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
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