Yesterdayt in Billerica, Massachusetts, a large oak tree unexpectedly toppled onto a home, causing extensive property damage. Katie Gladfelter, the homeowner, was luckily not present when the incident occurred. According to a CBS News Boston report, the tree fell, striking the house on Sprague Street, notably crashing into a second-floor room where Gladfelter's teenage son typically spends time. Her relative was to call and inform her of the incident, a stroke of fortune given that the family was away at the time.
Neighbors reported observing the tree sway ominously before it finally gave way. "I saw the tree wavering and wavering and I knew something was going to happen and all of a sudden I was going to park my car, and I heard a thud," neighbor Fred Toppi described in a statement obtained by CBS News Boston. The family, who has lived in the house since 2016 without prior issues with the tree, is now facing extensive repairs due to the damage to their roof and windows.
The peculiar incident caught the attention of locals as there had been no storm or significant wind at the time the tree fell. The collapse exposed a hidden decay within the tree, with spongy fibers found at the base of the trunk under the bark. "If he had been there – it was through his room where he hangs out – luckily, we said go spend some time with your grandmother," Gladfelter recounted in an interview with WCVB, revealing that a change in her son's routine may have spared him from harm.
The incident has raised questions about the preventative maintenance of trees on town property, particularly since the family was told the tree stood on town land. Crews are expected to begin cleanup efforts the subsequent Tuesday. While the cause of the tree's fall remains officially undetermined, the Gladfelter family is expressing their relief. "I am beyond relief that nobody was home, nobody one else got injured," Katie Gladfelter told CBS News Boston.
