What To Do in Case of a Tree Emergency
When you notice something isn’t right with your tree, it may cause you to panic. Though it’s normal for some tree issues to cause concern, others can make you feel unsafe or make you feel that your property is becoming unsafe. Having a tree emergency can become serious very quickly, and knowing how to respond in the event of a tree emergency can help to deescalate the situation before it becomes more dangerous.
If you have a tree emergency on your property, it’s important to know what you’re capable of doing and what should be completed by professionals. Handling tree emergencies on your own, without the proper training or safety equipment, can result in serious injury or even death. A professional like the arborists at Mr. Tree can help you safely handle your tree emergency and find a solution that works best for you and your property.
What Is Considered a Tree Emergency?
What you consider a tree emergency can differ from person to person. For most people, a tree emergency is something that makes their property and the people around it unsafe. This can be the case after a storm hits and causes branches to fall onto nearby electrical wires or a roof or when a tree becomes slightly uprooted from heavy winds and is now unstable. Though storms are a common cause for many tree emergencies, they aren’t the only cause.
Another cause for a tree emergency can be an infestation. An infestation of either insects or tree disease can cause your tree to become hollow on the inside or begin to show signs of being unstable. Infections from tree diseases and insects can also lead to different types of tree emergencies, where you’re nervous that the disease will spread to nearby trees and wildlife and cause even further damage. Whether your emergency stems from natural causes, infestation, or storm damage, tree emergencies should be assessed as soon as possible to avoid any further complications.
What Can You Do On Your Own?
Many people’s first reaction to a tree emergency is to fix it themselves. Depending on the emergency, there are certain precautions that you can take to help avoid any immediate harm to you or your property. But knowing when to seek the assistance of professionals is important. Tree emergencies often come with hidden dangers that may not be as evident to the untrained eye.
One thing that you can safely do on your own in the event of a tree emergency is perform a visual inspection. This can be done at a safe distance from the tree emergency while still allowing you to identify damage that has already been done and potential damage that could happen if the issue isn’t resolved quickly. A visual inspection from a safe distance will allow you to relay as much information as possible to professionals when you call them.
When performing your visual inspection, you should look for a few different things. Trunk damage can be a particularly serious tree emergency so look for signs of damage to the trunk, including signs that it’s hollow or has large cracks and cavities on its surface. Dead branches should also be noted, as well as their placement with regard to power lines and their size. Roots should be visually inspected from a safe distance, where you should look for damage such as excessive fungus and signs of decay. These few things, along with anything else that feels or looks dangerous, should be noted.
When Should You Call a Professional?
After you perform a visual inspection of a tree emergency, you should then call your local professional arborists. The knowledge and experience that professionals like Mr. Tree have can give you peace of mind when it comes to handling your tree emergency safely and effectively. Though it may seem like an easy fix to trim a few branches or chop down a tree, doing it safely and without causing damage to your property or others can only be done with proper training and equipment.
The staff of a local tree service company has heavy equipment that can help to trim, prune, and cut down portions of a tree that need assistance. They also are in possession of the safety equipment that allows staff to perform these tasks in a way that gives them the most protection from potentially life-threatening injuries. Lastly, professionals have the training to know what next steps should be taken and how to take them. Enlisting the help of professionals can save you a lot of time and money while also ensuring the safety of you and the people around you.
What Can a Professional Do for You?
Tree service professionals are capable of performing many services in the case of a tree emergency. One service that can be provided is the trimming and removal of broken branches. Depending on the size of your tree, trimming and branch removal may be difficult to access without proper machinery. A professional can safely access broken branches, cut them down, and dispose of them appropriately.
Another service that’s often requested in the case of a tree emergency is tree removal. This is necessary when the tree has been severely uprooted or damaged and is at risk of falling on its own. A professional can assess the risks and provide the proper equipment and machinery to take the tree down without causing other damage to the property. Having a professional complete this task is of extreme importance, as a falling tree is one of the biggest tree emergencies and can cause harm to both properties and people in the nearby area.
After the tree has been properly taken down, professionals like Mr. Tree can also offer you the service of stump removal. Because tree removal only gets rid of the tree’s main trunk and base, the remaining stump can provide an eyesore on your property and a potential trip hazard. Stump grinding can leave you with a level area where your tree once stood, allowing you endless possibilities for what can be done with the newly empty space.
