LAWTON Okla_ The dead trees
in Lawton are
coming down.
Monday Arbor Masters
Tree Service began the tedious job of taking down the dead trees. First stop
was Old Town North, a neighborhood that boasts most of the oldest trees. General
Manager Randy Clifton said they'll be taking down some 150 to 160 trees, at a
cost of about $60,000.
"A dead tree
has a tendency to dry out," Clifton
said. "The longer it remains dead, the more expensive the price is to remove
it. It becomes very brittle. Big leaves just fall out of a tree."
He said dead branches
and trees are dangerous. They could fall on your house, your car, and even you.
They can do some big damage, too. Clifton
said the trees he's seen today are victims of the last two summers of extreme
drought.
Getting the
trees down is a 3-step process. First, they check out any power lines, cars,
sidewalks in the area for safety. Then, for safety, they cut the topmost
branches. Once the entire tree is down, they grind up the stump and cover with
soil.
Clifton said they're
taking the debris to the city landfill.
