Historic oak tree falls on Duarte townhomes

DUARTE, Calif. (KABC) -- A massive oak tree fell on some townhomes in Duarte overnight, forcing several residents out of their complex.

The incident actually began on Monday when one of the tree's largest branches fell. Crews were in the process of removing parts of the tree when the rest of it came crashing down, landing on several buildings on the 1800 block of Huntington Drive.

No injuries were reported. Some residents said it felt like an earthquake.

"All of a sudden at 1:45 a.m. I heard this...boom. I sat up, my son jumped up. He says, 'I don't think it's an earthquake, I think it's that tree out there,'" said resident Sheree Brown.

Residents say they have been trying to get the tree removed for years, but they had a hard time because the oak tree has historical significance.

"This particular tree dates back to the 1800s here in the city of Duarte. It appears in many of our historical documents. It was called the 'hanging tree' for swift justice, I guess, at that period of time in our community," said Duarte Deputy City Manager Karen Herrera.

Duarte inspectors are at the scene to assess the damage. City officials say that since the oak tree is on private property, the condominium association will be responsible for the cleanup.