Neighbors rally to help family after massive tree crashes into Boulder Creek home
UPDATE 02/15/19 6:00 p.m. A family still shaken after a massive tree fell and tore apart their home in Boulder Creek.
The incident happened on Quigg Way around 1 a.m. Thursday morning.
The tree was estimated to be about 100-feet tall. Crews came out Friday morning to start clearing the tree and spent most of the day out there.
The wife and two children, 11 and eight years old were all home sleeping at the time. The husband, Dave, says he was out working on the well he manages for the neighborhood when the tree came crashing down.
He says for a few minutes after, he was trying to yell for his wife and kids but they couldn’t hear him so he feared they had been hurt or killed.
Neighbors KION spoke with say the wind with this storm have been the worst, “”when you hear a big gust you start to think is this the one that’s gonna get us is this the one the tree is gonna come down on our house. You listen for a crack and if you hear that crack you tense up and get a little nervous,” says AJ Sabourin who lives next door.
Sabourin says he went outside after he heard the crack and then a loud boom and his neighbor was frantically driving up and down the hillside asking for help.
Another neighbor, Patty Hartmann, says she was heartbroken learning it was this family that had their home damaged, “one of our neighbors texted us saying a neighbors house got hit by a tree and we figured something happened because we didn’t have power, and i said please don’t let it be this family, not that I wish this on anybody, but I walked over and it broke my heart. They’re amazing, the husband takes care of our mountain he takes care of our well, and then whatever we need he’s open to helping.”
The family says while it may take awhile to get everything fixed they are just thankful they are all safe.
The tree had been marked by Pacific Gas and Electric to be removed. Neighbors said PG&E talked about removing the tree at least 4 years ago but never got around to doing it.
Hartmann has since started a go fund me page, if you would like to learn more or donate click here.
PREVIOUS STORY:
A massive tree fell and tore apart a home in Boulder Creek.
The incident happened on Quigg Way around 1 a.m. Thursday.
The tree was estimated to be about 100-feet tall.
Neighbors said the tree had been marked by Pacific Gas and Electric to be removed. Neighbors said PG&E talked about removing the tree at least 4 years ago but never got around to doing it.
The home suffered major damage, and a car was smashed in the driveway.
A family of four was inside when the tree fell but no one was injured.
KION’s Ashley Keehn has more at 5 and 6 p.m.
