A large eucalyptus tree fell Wednesday, crushing a car at Balboa Park.
No one was hurt in the incident, as the driver was a safe distance away with her dog when it happened. A video submitted by NBC 7 viewer Michael Lupinacci after the incident shows the huge tree destroyed the front end of her car.
What caused the sudden topple?
City experts say it wasn’t caused by the drought, as eucalyptus trees are very drought resistant, but because they have shallow roots, especially because of the clay soil base found at Balboa Park.
Workers found some fungus inside the tree, making it rot from the inside out. There were no other signs of decay.
Unfortunately, other trees in the area aren’t so drought resistant. Coastal Redwoods along State Route 163 and the Canary Island Pines near the west end of the park near the playgrounds are dying.
That's because the lack of water attracts the beetles and makes it harder for the trees to fight off infestation.
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To combat the effects of the drought, the city has added drip lines around some of these parched trees to create watering basins and has also added more mulch piles.
