A 65- to 70-foot pine tree toppled onto an apartment building Monday, forcing Costa Mesa firefighters to evacuate the residents, but no one was injured.
The tree, which had about a five-foot trunk and shallow roots, toppled onto the building in the 1300 block of Adams Avenue about 10:30 a.m., according to Costa Mesa Deputy Fire Chief Fred Seguin.
A resident of the apartment most significantly damaged was able to get himself out safely, Seguin said.
The fallen tree caused “heavy structural damage” to that apartment, which was red-tagged, Seguin said. A city building inspector was on scene to determine if other units have to be red-tagged, he said.
Firefighters got about seven to 10 people out of the building, as well as two neighboring buildings, when they got on scene, Seguin said.
It’s unclear what toppled the tree, but it could have been a gust of wind Monday, or it could have been weakened in recent blustery weather, Seguin said.
—City News Service