SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Cleanup crews are working across San Diego to remove fallen trees and debris from Monday's powerful storm, with city officials reporting 49 tree-related calls and 16 confirmed fallen trees.
The urgency comes as another storm is expected to roll in Tuesday night.
The talk-of-the-town has been a massive Torrey Pine that toppled in Pacific Beach on Monday afternoon. West Coast Arborists carefully sawed the 30-foot tree piece by piece because a parked car was blocking access to the full trunk.
"We have to make sure the right of way is clear for not just vehicles and pedestrians, but emergency responders, like ambulances or things like that that need to get through," said Brian Wildener, the City of San Diego's Forester.
The City must clear downed trees regardless of whether they fall on city property or private land. Wildener said homeowners had previously reported that the Pacific Beach Torrey Pine was leaning before Monday's storm hit, and it's now being evaluated by the City.
"We had unprecedented winds in the last 24 hours, and with a good amount of saturated soils," Wildener said, explaining that taller, mature trees are more susceptible to wind damage than shorter ones.
The City is actively responding to tree-removal requests across multiple neighborhoods. Residents who spot additional hazardous trees can submit requests through the Get It Done app or website.
"Our arborists will respond to those requests fairly quickly within 24 hours, 48 hours," Wildener said.
The storm also caused a major fire event overnight near Escondido, where lightning struck around 1 a.m., igniting about 100 palm trees. San Diego Fire-Rescue, Escondido Fire, Cal Fire, and rainfall worked together to extinguish a blaze that burned approximately one acre in a couple of hours.
