umamibella:
It was a pretty silly thing to do.Parts of CA is full of Eucalypts that burn well.
I would have thought the bushfires the last couple of years woke people up to the danger of bushfires. It took a massive fire here to do that here.
Eucalyptus trees were imported from elsewhere as are nearly all trees found in California urban areas. They used to be a lot more common before my time but now everyone knows they burn like massive torches so no one plants new ones anymore and I believe that goes back to the 1990’s at least.
You are correct. Eucalyptus have flammable oils that burn easily and intensely. Not only is nobody planting new Eucalyptus trees anymore, many of these trees are being removed and destroyed.
My double-great grandfather and his family planted baby Eucalyptus trees when they arrived in southern California in the late 1800s, to pretty up an otherwise dull environment. Much of the Otay area close to the Mexican border was planted with Eucalyptus, and there are also California Pepper Trees, which I believe are native.
That was when cities like Chula Vista, Bonita and National City were still just small villages, and even San Diego was a small town at that time.
Personally, I think Eucalyptus trees are beautiful, with their cascading leaves. But, their root systems are shallow, and on more than one occasion someone has been killed by an Eucalyptus tree falling on them.
Eventually, probably all the old Eucalyptus trees will be gone, and a piece of southern California’s uniqueness will be gone with them.
Just a little history there, for anyone interested.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
www.nationalreview.com
legalinsurrection.com