It’s not something you think about often, but a tree can be dangerous. Trees and tree limbs can fall, causing injury or damage. These trees are what we call “hazardous,” because they pose an actual risk to people or property. It’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure the trees on the property they own are safe, and an owner can be held legally responsible for failing to take care of a potential tree hazard. It’s not always obvious what’s wrong with a tree that could make it dangerous, so regular tree maintenance by a certified arborist is important. Some signs that a problem with your tree posing a safety hazard are:
• Trees that are dangerously close to power lines
• Large branches that hang over a neighbor’s property
• Large dead branches
• Branches that have fallen from the tree
• Detached and hanging branches
• Cavities or rotten wood along the trunk, or in major branches
• Mushrooms present at the base of the tree
• Cracks or splits in the trunk, or where branches attach
• Adjacent trees that have fallen or died
• A trunk that begins leaning
• Many major branches that rise from one point in the trunk
• Roots that have been broken off, or otherwise damaged by removing soil, installing pavement, or digging trenches
• Recent construction that has raised the soil level, such as installing a lawn
• Leaves that develop an unusual color or smaller size
• Trees that have been removed from wooded areas nearby
• The tree has been topped or pruned in other damaging ways
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