Scare moment at Günthersburgpark. A tree fell at the popular green space on Saturday, July 28, in the evening. The tree, number 333, was a linden tree that had a trunk diameter of about 60 to 80 inches and a height of about 20 feet.
The tree, which was about 2 meters behind the boundary wall, fell into the adjacent intersection of Castle Street/Comenius Street. Firefighters secured the fallen tree and deposited the prunings in the adjacent park.
Softened soil is considered to be the cause of the tree toppling. The soil in the immediate root area was soaked to such an extent that the roots were no longer able to apply the necessary holding forces to anchor the tree securely in the soil. Due to the one-sided growth of the tree crown towards the road and the associated excess weight, in conjunction with the excessively sodden subsoil, the root plate slid and the tree subsequently toppled.
A lime tree standing next to the fallen tree, height about 18 meters, was also in soggy soil and was set down by the fire department for safety reasons at a height of about 6 meters.
But why was the ground so soggy despite the ongoing drought? The reason could be a sewer blockage. The causes are not known but will be investigated in due course. The adjacent sycamore tree stand, which had its canopy exposed by the fallen lime tree, is being re-trimmed to reduce the canopy volume of the sycamore trees to reduce wind load
