A Victoria woman says she was just minutes away from being struck by a massive tree branch even after warning the city about the problem tree last year.
The large branch came crashing down in front of a home at the corner of Belmont Avenue and Vining Street in Fernwood Thursday night.
Constance O’Leary said she had just picked up her recycling bin from under the Garry oak moments before it happened.
“To my shock, it sounded like a gun firing and felt like an earthquake, and a large portion of the tree fell across the road, thankfully not into my house,” she said.
No one was hurt and the city later brought in a contractor to remove the branch.
O’Leary said she called the city last year to report the tree as a possible hazard, saying she was worried about the safety of kids in the neighbourhood.
“They did come by in February, they came and took one branch off and said they had the wrong equipment and that they’d be back,” she said. “They did not come back again.”
She said she’s still worried about the rest of the tree after two branch failures, and would like to see the rest of the tree go.
“The trees that I’ve had in this yard belong in a great big meadow and not in a small neighbourhood,” she said.
A City of Victoria arborist confirmed the tree was on land that falls under the city’s responsibility.
CTV News has reached out to city officials for comment.
