Is that oddly angled branch a tree emergency, or would a routine pruning service do the trick? Usually, that depends on where it hangs. What has caused the tree branch’s odd angle?
At Tree Care Inc., our team deals with both emergencies and routine tree care requests daily. What makes a tree service in Louisville, KY, urgent or typical? Let’s explore a few scenarios below so that you know when to call our tree professionals for help.
How Can You Tell When You Have a Tree Emergency?
Typically, emergency tree services require immediate removal of a branch or the entire specimen for the sake of safety or property damage. If so, the service crew will act fast because the tree endangers a nearby structure, your personal safety, power lines, or some other healthy trees within the vicinity.
The most obvious examples of tree emergencies involve a damaged limb or a compromised trunk structure, but the scope goes well beyond this, even to a tree’s general health. You’ll learn more about when to worry below.
What Situations Count as Emergencies?
A tree emergency can occur anywhere. You might notice one while strolling through your neighborhood or as it compromises your commercial space’s safety. Look out for the following concerning tree situations at home, work, or when you’re out and about, and call for expert help as soon as possible:
When Power Lines Are Nearby
Power lines deliver electricity within the area, but these strong electrical currents should never come into contact with the ground. Has a tree grown a little too close to the lines for comfort? That’s a tree hazard that cannot wait.
All trees and branches should stay at least 50 feet away from any power line. Otherwise, cracked branches or leaning trunks will count as power line hazards, even with no other structures in the vicinity.
Serious Damage From a Storm
Even the most sturdy, mature trees can sustain significant storm damage. For example:
- The wind can push limbs further than they can bend, forcing breakage.
- Lightning may strike the tallest specimen around, splitting the trunk.
- Frozen precipitation can weigh down weak branches and cause them to fall.
Check on your trees when a powerful storm clears to catch bent branches, charred trunks, and other problems. Never stand directly beneath the tree.
Proximity to Buildings
Sometimes, perfectly secure specimens can still pose structural risks to surrounding buildings, fences, or cars. A far-outstretched branch can overshadow the roof of a house or storage shed. The tree roots may grow toward plumbing pipes beneath the surface.
What goes on beneath the ground is part of the reasoning, as you aren’t just facing roof damage or a smashed vehicle – you’re also looking at busted pipes. Roots actively search for moving water sources and don’t discriminate between a building’s plumbing and an aquifer. When they tap into a metal pipe, they can simultaneously block water flow and create a leak.
Illness or Injury
This final type of tree emergency isn’t always visible to the naked eye. You might need a professional arborist to diagnose the problem and determine whether you need a removal service. An injured tree may not pose an immediate threat to any buildings, but it can host:
- Pest insects
- Fungal diseases
- Bacterial infections
- Viruses
These organisms love open tree wounds because they can quickly infiltrate the specimen. Be especially vigilant if remnants of other fallen trees are scattered about. A disease or pest could jump from the deadwood to the tissues of a living but weakened neighbor.
Signs of an Impending Tree Emergency
Part of knowing how to respond to these situations is understanding what an emergency looks like in real life. A dangerous tree often possesses one or multiple of the following characteristics:
- The trunk leans dramatically to one side.
- A branch stretches uncomfortably close to any structure.
- The landscape surrounding the building is mushy and swampy (a root may have infiltrated a plumbing pipe).
- You can see visible damage to any part of the tree’s structure, including burn or char marks, cracks, or holes.
- The trunk feels mushy, dry, or soft to the touch.
- Fungi have visibly overtaken the tree.
- The tree leans directly against a neighboring tree.
- A branch or tree has already fallen and leans into a building structure.
Keep your distance, remain calm, and follow our guide to handling tree emergencies below.
How Should You Deal With a Tree Emergency?
If you think you have a tree emergency on your hands, do not attempt to remove any limbs or cut the tree down by yourself. Even experienced professionals armed with extensive training and safety equipment face the dangers of felling trees.
An unskilled, ill-equipped property owner faces double the risks. For peace of mind, follow our recommended steps below:
- Clear the area. Warn other people about the potential dangers. Put up caution tape or place a physical barrier around the hazardous tree if you own a commercial property.
- Evacuate the building. You only have to evacuate if the tree or branch could fall atop the building. Otherwise, focus on maintaining a clean, safe space.
- Contact our arborist in Louisville, Kentucky. Service providers like Tree Care Inc. offer emergency services and will prioritize your call.
- Keep an eye on the area while you wait. Continue monitoring the situation. Warn curious passersby away in case the leaning tree or branch suddenly falls.
- Give the arborist space to work. Let your tree professionals take over once they arrive. They will conduct a safety assessment to determine the threat level and the strategy that will minimize damage.
Once the service crew removes the tree, you can go back to business as usual.
Tree Care Inc. Safely Handles Tree Emergencies
Have you found a tree emergency unfolding on your property? Remember the risks of DIY tree removal before you attempt to handle it alone.
Contact Tree Care Inc. for emergency services in Louisville, Kentucky. Simply call 502-326-3661 to report your concern to our arborist on duty, and we’ll dispatch a professional to assess the situation.
