Local

Huge tree falls on historic home in East Washington

EAST WASHINGTON, Pa. — A 100-foot tall maple tree fell on a historic home on Wilmont Avenue in East Washington Monday night.
 
Neighbors said there weren't storms in the area and just a slight breeze when the tree came crashing down.
 
A neighbor told Channel 11's Courtney Brennan that she heard a cracking noise and ran out of the way right before the tree crashed.
 
"I heard it crack, and I ran as quickly as I could.  And then the tree went down," said Nancy McGill.
 
Neighbors said the tree was supposed to be taken down Tuesday because it had been leaning for a few weeks.
 
"A couple days ago, we noticed it was started to lean and pull up the pavement a little bit," said McGill.
 
"Between the sidewalk and the street, it's so narrow.  It gets root bow, and it doesn't have anywhere to spread," said Robert Smith with a tree removal company.
 
No one was hurt, but the tree brought utility lines down and damaged a gas line.
 
"They got really lucky.  It didn't roll and destroy the roof and nothing went through the roof," said McGill.

A crew spent the day taking the 20,000 pound tree apart on Tuesday.