A eucalyptus tree crashed into the side of Thurgood Marshall Apartments Building C around 4 p.m. Monday, shattering a window and puncturing the wall. Police and fire officials responded shortly after and evacuated the building.
Although tree branches broke a woman’s bedroom window, Thurgood Marshall Resident Dean Yolanda Trevino said no bodily injury occurred as a result of the accident.
‘We were fortunate that we did not have any injuries as well as [only] minor damage,’ Trevino said. ‘If [the tree] had leaned more and the trunk had fallen on the building, it would have taken out all the apartments because of the weight.’
According to Steve Thompson, associate director of maintenance, housing and dining, the tree branches hit a length of piping on the outside of the building, damaging a fire sprinkler system that serves two bedrooms and punching a hole through the wall.
Assistant Director of Facilities Management Charles Morgan said the damage was a result of internal decay mostly at the base of the tree and most likely caused by a fungus.
‘With the right circumstances ‘shy;’mdash; the right wind, right weight on the tree ‘mdash; it could happen to any tree anywhere in San Diego County,’ Morgan said. ‘There’s almost no real signs. We could never know until it falls down and we look inside.’
Trevino said the three residents whose rooms were damaged have been temporarily relocated to other open spaces in Thurgood Marshall College and are expected to return to their rooms by Friday.
Readers can contact Yelena Akopian at [email protected].