Neighbors band together after tree smashes house, hospitalizing dad
A Northern California community has started a petition to bring awareness to the threat of trees toppling after a father of four was hospitalized.
A massive eucalyptus tree fell onto the house home and sliced it in half in Castro Valley, southeast of San Francisco.
It was one of two trees that came down on homes last week, along Kelly Canyon Creek. Now neighbors are worried about the ones still standing. They've signed a petition and are scrambling to figure out who's responsible before the next tree falls.
Heather Gonzales's husband was pinned under a eucalyptus tree that came crashing into their house. He's now recovering in the hospital and isn't expected to get out for months.
"He was in the living room and the tree crossed my kitchen and living room," said Heather Gonzales. "My children and I were on that side, and my oldest was on this side. This is our home, this is where we made memories. It's very hard. I'm just glad he is alive."
Residents around Kelly Canyon Creek neighbors say they've never seen the creek this full, following massive storms across California this January.
"Heather and her family have gone through an unimaginable tragedy, and where is the help? Why is the tree still in her house?" said one neighbor.
Now neighbors who only met because of unfortunate circumstances are banding together to take action about the public safety hazard. They put together a petition to send to Alameda County, and have close to a thousand signatures.
"These trees are at risk right now. There are trees right beside the one that fell," said another neighbor. "Homeowners have left their homes because they are fearful to be in the home until the trees are down."
At Gonzales's home, the tree remains on the house.
"Ideally the tree service responds immediately because it is an emergency," said arborist Brian Gates.
But Gates says tree services are already slammed responding to hundreds of other emergencies.
And the problem is for a lot of people, it is expensive and they are wondering whose responsibility it is.
"It's a 'hot potato,'" said Gates. "'I don't want it, it's your tree.' 'No, it's your tree.' And they will have to settle that out. Eventually somebody is going to have to do something."
"I don't know how long it's going to take to go back into our home if we even want to go back there," said Heather Gonzales. "If these trees are here we can't return. There is no way, it's just unsafe and terrifying to remember."
Fortunately, Gonzales and her four children made it out safely and are living with family in the area.
