The day a 70 foot white oak came down on my truck

I used to think you could always save a tree with enough cabling and bracing... but last Tuesday changed my mind. A big white oak on Maple Street in Portland had a crack right through the main trunk, and the owner begged me to try and save it. I spent 4 hours rigging it up, but the next morning it split and crushed the bed of my F350. What convinced me was seeing that crack go all the way through the heartwood - now I know when to just say no. Has anyone else had a tree fail on them after trying to save it?

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reese5512d ago

Wait, was the crack really through the heartwood or just along the grain? I've seen heart cracks that look worse than they are, but a true split all the way through is a different story.