A massive, century-old oak tree fell onto power lines on a main street in Milton, Massachusetts, Wednesday night, leaving hundreds of residents in the dark.
Eversource says crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to clear and repair damage after the 70-foot tree fell on Eliot Street around 5:30 p.m., cutting power to about 700 customers.
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Photos posted on the utility company's social media accounts show a splintered tree across the roadway with downed wires, as well as branches surrounding the power pole and entangling the lines.
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Eversource's electric system operators are using smart switches to remotely restore as many customers as possible from a backup source, the utility company said.
There was no immediate report of any injuries, and neighbors said they're fortunate because it is a busy area typically.
The tree once rested in Lauren Dematteis' front yard -- until it came crashing down Wednesday, blocking Elliot Street and turning what should have been a peaceful evening for Dematteis into complete chaos. The massive limbs downed power lines, leaving the block and surrounding streets dark.
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"I heard a large bang, thought somebody might’ve hit our stone wall," she said. "Thank god this is a main street that nobody was hurt walking, driving, anything cause it was 5:30.”
"I tried to leave out the front door and he said, 'Lauren you gotta leave out the back door' and we had to leave out the back door cause we had live wires on both sides of our house,” she continued.
“It was very upsetting because there are a lot of children in our neighborhood.”
The Department of Public Works was focusing their attention on removing the tree late Wednesday night, and chainsaws could be heard as they went branch by branch. Meanwhile, Eversource expected to have power back around 2 a.m. Thursday.
As for why the tree fell, Dematteis has a guess.
“It had rained a couple weeks ago but it hadn’t rained and it was really dry and hot that it probably dried it out and just rotted it out.”
