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Massive tree falls onto home in California amid high winds, killing 2, officials say
By Travis Fedschun
Published January 21, 2019
Two people were killed after a large tree fell on a home in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego on Monday. (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
Two people were killed after a massive tree toppled onto a home in southern California early Monday as high winds were reported in the area.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said the "tragic" incident took place in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego.
“It was horrendous. I’ve never heard anything like it. It was crashing and people yelling,” a neighbor told FOX5. “The tree has been here as long as I’ve moved here 50 years ago. It’s been pruned and re-pruned. It was an accident waiting to happen.”
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A fire official told FOX5 a man and woman who were on the second story of the home died when the tree came crashing down around 6 a.m. A third person who was on the first floor of the building was rescued by firefighters and not injured.
A fire official told FOX5 that high winds in the area at the time were "obviously" a factor. (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
Wind gusts in the area of around 40 mph were reported during the time the tree fell, according to the National Weather Service.
The large tree brought down power lines in the neighborhood when it collapsed on Monday. (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
Several power lines in the neighborhood were brought down by the tree, and utility crews were also working to contain a gas leak within the home.
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A fire official told FOX5 that wind was "obviously" a factor. It also could be hours until authorities get access to the home due to the downed power lines and structural damage.
The two people who were killed in the home in San Diego were on the second floor at the time, according to fire officials. (San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
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The NWS said in a forecast discussion that westerly winds in the area will "become strong from the mountain tops to the desert slopes" into Monday.
A peak wind gust of 97 mph was reported in Burns Canyon in the mountains of San Bernardino County, the NWS said.
https://www.foxnews.com/weather/massive-tree-falls-onto-home-in-california-amid-high-winds-killing-2-officials-say