PRESS RELEASE December 25, 2018 Menlo Park Fire Protection District – Tree falls on to an occupied house in Atherton, Christmas Morning

Menlo Park Firefighters responded to a reported tree into a home on Snowden Avenue in the Town of Atherton at 1.47 am Christmas morning. Three people were inside the single story home when the incident occurred. A tree branch penetrated the roof and ceiling of an occupied child’s bedroom.

Captain Eggimann and his crew on Engine 5 arrived on-scene at 1.54 am and reported that they had a large pine tree that had fallen onto a single story house with the occupants standing outside. Fortunately, no one was injured inside the home.

Firefighters used plastic tarps to cover the damaged roof section which was also impacted by rainfall and wind. A total of 14 personnel deployed on three Fire Engines a Ladder Truck and a Battalion Chief responded to the incident.

Battalion Chief Chris Pimentel assisted the family with securing new accommodations at the Stanford Park Hotel because the home was not safe for re-occupancy until the tree could be removed.

Fire Chief Schapelhouman said “while sadly the structure was damaged and the occupants displaced, if children had been playing on the backyard trampoline, it could have been catastrophic, because of where the tree fell”.

Please Credit Menlo Fire for the Photographs shown below:
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