Red Car Property: Dead Eucalyptus Flanking Northern End Of Trail

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 18, 2015. This is the reverse angle from yesterday's post on the north end of the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 11, 2015  The dead Eucalyptus on the Adelbert side of the Red Car Property is distinctive with its curved branches hanging over the trail in dramatic fashion. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 11, 2015.  The dead Eucalyptus tree on the Riverside Drive of side of the property does not photograph nearly as well as the one across the trail. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2015.  This is the same tree as the previous photo.  The Eucalyptus on the north end of the Red Car Property have just been devastated by drought, disease, age, mold and/or insects. Last year, more than a dozen large dead Eucalyptus were cut down on this portion of the property.  

Eucalyptus trees are dying throughout the neighborhood.  They are a severe fire hazard. 

The Red Car Property was red tagged by the LAFD Brush Clearance Unit.  We hope the brush and dead trees will be cleared before the 4th of July weekend. 

Report hillside brush hazards to: LAFDBrush@lacity.org

We're looking at the dead Eucalyptus trees around the neighborhood this week. Click here for all our dead tree posts.

Red Car Property: Dead & Dying Eucalyptus Victims of Disease, Pests, Drought?* updated

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 10, 2014.  Brush clearance contractors cut down some of the smaller dead Eucalyptus behind the Arco station this week, exposing the inside of a diseased tree.*  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Some tree activists in the local community, as well as neighbors who lost a number of large Eucalyptus trees in the past two years, speculate the Eucalyptus are dying from a fungus spread by Shot Hole Borer beetles, accelerated by drought and a very humid summer. Without consulting a licensed arborist it is hard to determine the exact cause of death (more below).*

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 10, 2014. Neighbors alerted us to  trees being cut down on the Red Car Property.  On the north end of the property, there were at least 9 dead & dying Eucalyptus in May.  Tree contractors appear to only be taking those trees down so far.

The current Eucalyptus die-off started on Adelbert in March 2013 & moved down the Red Car Property toward Riverside Drive.  The trees appear to die rapidly once they started to go.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014.  In May, we advised the property owner's rep of the 9 large dead trees.  The dead 3 trees in this photo were the small ones.  

Without an expert examining these trees & bugs, we don't know exactly what killed them.  We advise you to seek expert advice quickly if your trees are starting to die off. 

In response to a large, seemingly healthy tree going down near his house last week, one Riverside Place neighbor said, "This seems to be the time of year when big Eucalyptus Trees fall or drop large branches for no apparent reason."  It's also a good time of year to trim back your Eucalyptus trees so they don't get blown over in a Santa Ana windstorm, potentially causing property damage or fire.

*UPDATE 10-18-14: One of our neighbors, who is a tree expert, pointed out: "Trees are often hollow in the middle - they are only "alive" in the cambium layer, between the bark and the wood. This is where they actively move water and sap between their roots and leaves. The inner rings/wood is the old cambium from previous years."

I apologize for any confusion this post may have caused.  However there is no doubt Eucalyptus trees are dying all over the neighborhood.  They are non-native, highly combustible (even when they are alive) & can cause great damage when they fall. 

Red Car Property: Dead & Dying Eucalyptus Trees Are A Fire Hazard

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014.  Three of the nine dead or dying Eucalyptus trees on the north end of the Red Car Property are in this shot.  These big trees are on Red Car Property APN # 5438-007-002 & directly adjacent to homes on Riverside Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The north end of the Red Car Property has lost a bunch of non-native Eucalyptus trees in the past few years.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014.  APN 5438-006-004.  Drought, insects, disease, old age, or a combination could be killing them throughout the neighborhood.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014.  Three smaller (25-30') Eucalyptus trees on the Red Car Property, closer to the Arco Station at Riverside & Fletcher, are also dead.  APN 5438-006-004. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014.  Another 60' Eucalyptus on 5438-007-002 is in a death spiral less than 50' downslope from a home on Adelbert where several large Eucalyptus trees died & had to be removed last fall.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 27, 2014.  Late last fall, most of the dead trees and debris were removed from Red Car Canyon, 5440-030-033,another Eucalyptus is dying in the canyon, halfway up the slope to a home on Corralitas Drive. 

Eucalyptus is an oily, highly combustible tree that burns hot and spreads fire quickly.  If you live adjacent to these trees, you should contact the LAFD Brush Unit, using the APN below each photo (heck send the photos too)  It's best to send a detailed email rather than call the Brush Unit - see instructions for filing a report on the LAFD Brush Clearance Unit website.

And be sure to get your own brush clearance done.  The LAFD Brush Unit has all of the information you need: www.lafd.org/brush.

Update, Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 29, 2014.  One more dead Eucalyptus in the wooded canyon area close to the power lines on the Lake View side APN 5440-030-033. (added 4:04PM).  This one looks like branches were trimmed, but the arrows are pointing to top & bottom.  It's about 60" tall and from another angle it is leaning toward the power lines.  It may not be in immediate danger of falling, but give it a good El Nino rain followed by a Santa Ana windstorm & it could spell danger for the neighborhood.

Corralitas Drive: Stop Living In Denial, They're Dead

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 15, 2015.  The big Eucalyptus that neighbors thought would fall down 25 years ago, was healthy until the past year, when it fell victim to the sudden Eucalyptus death that's going around the neighborhood.  It was definitely still green a year ago.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2015.  Then, just in the past few months a second large Eucalyptus died, in very close proximity to the owner's home. It's tragic to lose so many large big trees around the neighborhood.  Eucalyptus do not drop their leaves for fall the way California Black Walnuts do.  They will not be coming back from the dead.   

These two Eucalyptus appear to be the same species that are dying all over the neighborhood.  In the past year, on Corralitas alone, several neighbors have had to cut down a half dozen similarly large Eucalyptus of the same species that died suddenly,  They are a fire hazard and if you have more than one, it seems to spread to your other Eucalyptus of the same species.  

Consult a certified arborist if you Eucalyptus are starting to die.  If it is disease, pests or fungus you can spread it to your other trees (often other types of trees - not just Eucalyptus), depending on what is causing the problem.  The megadrought is making trees more susceptible to all sorts of problems.   

For the past week we've been looking at the dead Eucalyptus around the Red Car Property neighborhood.  Click here for all our dead tree posts. 

UPDATE 8-22-15: Both trees were removed by owner this week.

Red Car Canyon: 25' Tree Branch Falls, Adding To Fire Danger *Updated

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 7, 2013.  A 25-foot long Eucalyptus tree branch fell in Red Car Canyon, sometime between Thursday & Saturday mornings.  (Click on photos to enlarge.) 

It is adjacent to the long since fallen, now dead, Eucalyptus tree* & palm tree in dire need of thinning of dead palm fronds.  Further upslope, there are several dense Eucalyptus trees towering above the palm tree, also in need of trimming, as they are looking dry too. 

However, care needs to be taken when thinning out the dead palm fronds and dense trees as they do provide habitat for Great Horned Owls & Cooper's Hawks, as well as other urban wildlife like skunks, opossums, raccoons, coyotes.  Earlier this year, a neighbor called me to document a Cooper's Hawk harassing a Great Horned Owl in this canyon.  After a good 20 minutes, the owl finally sought refuge in the dark, dense branches between the palm tree & Eucalyptus.

Red Car Canyon is the only part of the Red Car Property where both predators are routinely seen & heard by neighbors (usually not at the same time).

Photo: Diane Edwardson, September 9, 2013.  The LAFD Brush Clearance Red Tag Notice is dated September 4, 2013.

Eucalyptus throughout the neighborhood are dying & creating a fire hazard.  The LAFD Brush Clearance Unit noticed the Red Car Property owner to clear this lot (APN 5440-030-033) of dead trees, dry brush & debris last week.  Neighbors on both the Lake View Ave & Corralitas Drive sides of Red Car Canyon are very concerned about these conditions.  City Council District 13 Deputy Adam Bass has been notified of the problem & is working on solutions for this & other ongoing issues on the Red Car Property.

* 9-19-13, UPDATE: The long since dead Eucalyptus went down in January 2010.

Red Car Canyon: Dead Eucalyptus Still Looming Large

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 12, 2015.  You would think for liability reasons alone, the Red Car Property owner would cut down the dead Eucalyptus in Red Car Canyon.  We reported it to the owner's rep over a year ago.  The adjacent property owner reported it repeatedly to not only the owner's rep, but also CD13 & LAFD Brush Clearance Unit last year.  

Since all 5 lots of the property were Red Tagged by the LAFD earlier this month, we hope the Fire Dept will take note that this dead tree is still in the canyon.  It was not cut down after the LAFD Red Tagged the lots in 2014, even though we had a fire on the Lake View slope, just a few hundred feet away.

Photo: Diane Edwardson: May 27, 2014.  We documented the now dead Eucalyptus on the blog last year on more than one occasion. 

In 1980, a brush fire started in the canyon and burned up both sides of the canyon.  Three homes on Corralitas were destroyed; two damaged and rebuilt.  A water dropping helicopter stopped the fire before it caught a sixth house on fire on the opposite side of the hill, atop Corralitas, just as the Italian Cypress trees in front of the house were just catching fire.

The 1991 Oakland Hills Fire forced Los Angeles to re-examine the way brush clearance is handled in Hillside Areas. In the first hour of the Oakland Hills Fire, more than 790 homes were destroyed.  

By the early 2000s the Eastside Hillside Areas were added to the Very High Fire Hazard Safety Zone, but the higher standard of brush clearance has been spottily enforced in our area.  Now the vacant lots and the built lots are all under the jurisdiction of the LAFD Brush Unit. 

Report hillside brush hazards to LAFDBrush@lacity.org

We'll be looking at the dead (primarily Eucalyptus) trees around the neighborhood this week. Click here for all our dead tree posts.
 

Red Car Property: At Least 2 Of 7 Dead Eucalyptus Cut Down Today

Photos: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2014.  This morning I happened across a tree crew cutting down 2 of the remaining 7 dead Eucalyptus trees on the north end of the property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

It was the same licensed tree crew as had done the earlier work on the same trees several months ago.

We recently pointed out to the Red Car Property owner's rep that just the dead & dying Eucalyptus were not only a fire danger, but also a danger of falling in the rainy season.  The last 2 La Ninas were 2004-05 & 2010-2011.  We had record rain in '04-'05 & one storm in 2011 that dumped 7" or rain in one day on the neighborhood.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 3, 2014.  You do not need a permit to remove Eucalyptus trees.  You DO need a permit to remove protected native trees like California Black Walnut (the tree in the foreground shading the sun in above photo) and Coast Live Oak. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 2, 2014.  The 2 trees were marked for removal a couple of weeks ago.  But not that very large dead Eucalyptus behind them.  The 2 trees were trimmed back in June.  Brush clearance has not yet been done on the northernmost lot of the Red Car Property either.

Red Car Property: Dead Eucalyptus Week

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 15, 2015.  It looks like the large Eucalyptus across the street from the last 2 houses on Adelbert, has finally ended its long slow death spiral.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Since 2012 more than a dozen big Eucalyptus trees died on the north end of the Red Car Property.  Most were removed last year.  However, this one should have been removed too. 

It looks like there are a couple of large dead Eucalyptus on the downslope side of the Red Car Property on the rear property line of homes on Riverside Drive.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 24, 2014.  I guess the few tufts of live leaves on the upper branches somehow convinced the LAFD that the tree was not a fire hazard last year?  Of course there were so many other bigger dead trees in the area and this one was not the primary focus of the photos.  We've documented the tree's demise (among other trees) on the blog since at least 2012.

Report hillside brush hazards to: LAFDBrush@lacity.org

We're looking at the dead (primarily Eucalyptus) trees around the neighborhood this week. Click here for all our dead tree posts.

Adelbert Ave: Dead Eucalyptus Are Not Limited To Red Car Property

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 18, 2015.  Sometimes I wonder how I can walk by the same dead tree every day for months and not manage to take more photos of it.*  Believe me, it's still there.  In fact a second Eucalyptus has since died.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Eucalyptus are oily, highly combustible trees.  This tree will not come back to life in the rain. 

If you've ever been home on the 4th of July and live this close to the LA River, then you've heard the spent airborne fireworks raining down on your trees and rooftops.  You are putting not only your own house, but your neighbors' homes at risk by leaving this fire hazard on your property. 

Report hillside brush hazards to: LAFDBrush@lacity.org

*I'd rather not publish the dead tree blog.

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, June 26, 2015.  Thanks to a neighbor for sending proof that's it's really difficult to get good photos of dead trees as we've seen on the blog this week.  The tree has not sprung back to life. 

We're looking at the dead Eucalyptus trees around the neighborhood this week. Click here for all our dead tree posts. 

Red Car Property: Dead Eucalyptus & Dry Brush On Lot C, Adjacent Streets

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016. We documented the quick demise of the huge Eucalyptus on the  upper part of the slope in 2015.  It's in an Adelbert backyard, adjacent to the Red Car Property.  The lower dead Eucalyptus died a few months later.  It's on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 8, 2016.  A third and even larger Eucalyptus died this year within the Silver Lake Court, a public right-of-way.   High voltage lines appear to pass through the Eucalyptus adjacent to the dead tree.  A City crew cleared brush from the paper street months ago, but left the tree.

Silver Lake Court is a City "paper street," west of and adjacent to the Red Car Property.  Worth noting, in the 2003, failed 75 home development application for the Red Car Property, this was identified as the "open space lot."  The open space lot included the slope contained by a giant retaining wall.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 16, 2016.  The stand of dead trees is on the Red Car Property's Lot C, at India Street.  They are directly below power lines.  The trees died in 2013.  We don't know why this is acceptable to LAFD Brush Unit or LADWP.  We submit photos of them every year to the Brush Unit.  

During the June 19, 2016 Silver Lake Fire, neighbors on Roselin, and Riverside Dr, upslope from this location, witnessed 6 - 8" burning embers flying by their houses.

As of today, neighbors report no brush clearance has occurred on the Red Car Property, other than the previously mentioned clearance around the construction fence.  One neighbor reported seeing a LAFD Fire Marshall drive in and out of the property north of India Street yesterday.

Corralitas Drive: Grim Reaper?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 19, 2015.  It seems the only time I see woodpeckers in the neighborhood, they are looking for grubs in a dead or dying tree or in a rotten wood telephone pole.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Dead Eucalyptus Week reminded me of one of the harbingers of doom for trees in the neighborhood: woodpeckers.  You'll hear the tap-tap-tapping in the dead and dying trees.  There were small flocks of them in the dead Eucalyptus on the north end of the Red Car Property last year.  I had never seen so many woodpeckers in one place, but I'd also never seen so many big dead Eucalyptus in one location.

This is just an observation gleaned from 25 years of walking the Red Car Property  neighborhood.

Red Car Canyon in 2008: Eucalyptus Go Down In Rainstorms, Even In Dry Years

A version of this post was first published February 16, 2009.

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, February 2008. Red Car Canyon after the rain. (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Despite a mostly dry year in 2008, enough rain fell in one February storm causing another eucalyptus tree to fall in Red Car Canyon. Eucalyptus trees have notoriously shallow root systems and do not help hold hillsides together. 

2016 Update: Are you ready for the next big rainstorm?  It's not too late.  If you have a dead or dying eucalyptus tree on your property, it might be time to have it removed.  Many large dead eucalyptus were removed from the Red Car Property over the past two years.  

If your eucalyptus is a healthy tree, it might need trimming.  Eucalyptus' shallow root systems can fail when the slopes are saturated. Thinning the dense branches may help save healthy trees.  It's best to consult a licensed arborist if you have concerns and want to save your trees.  Be alert for raptor nests.  Hawks are rebuilding their nests for mating season.

Click here for all our dead tree posts.

How Fast Can A Big Eucalyptus Tree Die?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 2, 2014.  According to my archives, just a few months.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 18, 2015.  If your or your neighbors'  Eucalyptus are suddenly dying, you're not alone.  If you suspect your trees are in trouble, consult a licensed arborist.  You can infect other trees with improper pruning  and disposal methods.  

Dead Eucalyptus are a serious  fire hazard.  They are highly combustible.  Don't put our neighborhood at risk hoping for a miracle that will bring your tree back to life.

It's been Dead Eucalyptus Week here on the blog, but for the past for the past 3 years, we've documented dead trees in the Red Car Property neighborhood.  Click here for all our dead tree posts. 

Red Car Property: Another Dead Eucalyptus Tree Near Adelbert

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 13, 2013.  A few weeks ago, the Eucalyptus was only partially dead, now it's a major fire hazard.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

It is directly downslope from the 2 Eucalyptus threatening to fall on a house on Adelbert, as well as a 3rd tree in a death spiral.  Now all the upslope homes are at risk of fire.  Eucalyptus is an oily tree & is highly combustible under any circumstances, not just when they're dead.  At least the dry grass got trimmed back last week. 

It is odd so many Eucalyptus are dying in this location.  This slope has more shade and is moist longer due to the limited sun, year round.  It looks more like someone wanted to open up the view & poisoned the non-native trees.

Viaduct Footings: Dead Eucalyptus Trees Gone

Photo: Diane Edwardson, October 26, 2014.  All of the dead Eucalyptus near the historic viaduct footings were cut down last month, creating a rather large wasteland between Riverside Drive & Adelbert.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Over the past year and a half,  more than a dozen Eucalyptus trees including some very large ones, died rapidly on this northern part of the property.  It has really changed the ecosystem on this part of the property.  It's a lot hotter & drier here than ever before.

Click here for all our dead tree posts.

Corralitas Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, January 7, 2016.  Surprisingly, the trail on the Corralitas end of the Red Car Property was walkable this morning.  But the off-trail areas are mudtastic.  Step carefully.

We're tracking rainfall totals in the Corralitas rain gauge...

Tues January 5, 2016: 2.9"
Wed January 6, 2016: 0.9" *7 PM
Wed-Thurs, Jan 7, 2016: 0.5" *9 AM
Rain year to date: 5.12" **

That's 4.05" this week so far. If the typical El Niño weather pattern continues, expect Eucalyptus and pine trees to start going down on the Red Car Property in February.  Luckily, most of the large dead Eucalyptus on the Red Car Property were removed over the past two summers. Wish we could say the same for the dead Eucalyptus on adjacent properties.

**Normally, the "rain year" would have ended June 30.  However, this year California joined the rest of the country, and will report rainfall totals between October 1 to September 30.  Who expected to have significant rain between July 1 and October 1?  There will always be an asterisk next to the 2014-2015 rain year on Corralitas Drive, which ended with 15.17."  We got an unprecedented 4" between July 1 and September 30.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Dead Trees, Brush Clearance

Photo: Corralitas Drive Neighbor, June 13, 2017.  Dry grass on the odd slope on Allesandro St at Rosebud Ave which is actually Sunflower Ave, but the maps are out of sync with the street signs.  (click on photos to enlarge.)

The odd slope is within the CalTrans easement, but like everything surrounding the 2 Freeway, no one takes responsibility for it. More than once in 27 years,  I've seen a CalTrans crew spray the weeds with poison.

Photo: Corralitas Drive Neighbor, June 13, 2017.  Enlarged from previous photo.  Dead Eucalyptus are in the Modjeska Street right-of-way, a paper street, on an  extremely steep slope in the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  Looks like the Modjeska slope is in need of brush clearance too.  The City will never build  40' wide Modjeska Street right-of-way, as it is steeper than a 30% grade.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 22, 2016.  A year ago, the dead non-native Eucalyptus in the Modjeska paper street, were clearly evident as viewed from Corralitas Drive.  Eucalyptus trees all over the area have been dying suddenly for the past 4 years.  The Modjeska trees have been dead for more than a year.

Every year on and around the 4th of July, some idiots invariably shoot fireworks off over the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.

Red Car Property: Dead Eucalyptus Cut Down

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 14, 2015.  Monday, one of the two large dead Eucalyptus was cut down on the Adelbert end of the Red Car Property.  No maybe the native Black Walnuts will back in.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 10, 2015.  Only a few days earlier, I'd shot the same tree in a new round of dead tree photos, post-brush clearance. 

Silver Lake Court: Dead Eucalyptus In Power Lines

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 15, 2015.  The most recent dead Eucalyptus above the Red Car Property, may either be on private property for an adjacent home or the paper street of Silver Lake Court.  Either way, it is up against the power lines and should be removed.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Click here for all our dead tree posts.

Red Car Property: Why Pick Up The Dumping When You Can Just Kick It Down The Hill?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, July 14, 2015.  Bags of foam padding were dumped under a California Black Walnut Tree in August 2014, at the north end of the Red Car Property (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Rather than haul them away during brush clearance or any other time as promised, someone just kicked them down the hill (arrows pointing to the dumped foam padding).  We don't know who kicked them down the hill.

Note: All of the stumps in this shot are dead Eucalyptus, most of which were cut down around last year's brush clearance.  A few smaller dead Eucalyptus were cut down in this area this year.