Tree, Damaged By Lightning Last Year, Falls Onto Menlo House

MENLO PARK, CA — Part of a large redwood tree that was damaged last year when it was struck by lightning toppled over and damaged a home in Menlo Park last Thursday, March 1, fire officials say.

At 4:55 p.m. that day, Menlo Park Fire Protection District crews responded to a report of a tree into a house in the 100 block of Baywood Avenue. Crews arrived in three minutes and found a two-story home with portions of the tree on the roof and in the driveway and several vehicles severely damaged.

According to fire officials, a section of the tree went into a second floor bedroom that was empty at the time. The home's occupants, who were downstairs when the tree fell, were not injured.

Fire crews used a drone to inspect the roof damage and the tree.

Crews then cut and removed the tree's branches, then covered the hole in the roof with a plywood patch and a tarp to prevent water damage, fire officials said.

Firefighters learned that the 130-foot-tall tree located next door to the house had been struck by lightning last September.

A section of the tree that was damaged and partially dead was the section that fell onto the house. It fell due to strong storm winds that evening, fire officials said.

"We are relieved that no one was injured in this unique event which has now been determined as being caused by lightning last year," Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said in a statement.

— By Bay City News Service / Images courtesy Menlo Fire