Massive tree lodged in Hayden house until further notice

Homeowner waiting on approval from insurance before they crews can move the tree

February 5, 2020 6:39 PM

Nikki Torres,

Posted: February 5, 2020 6:39 PM

by Nikki Torres

HAYDEN, Idaho — Mother Nature is showing us just how dangerous she can get this winter. A massive Ponderosa Pine fell onto a Hayden home last Saturday, causing serious problems and a headache for the homeowner who still has the trunk lodged inside her home.

While it hasn’t shown signs of movement since it fell onto the house Saturday, that could all change depending on weather. The snow keeps coming, and the last thing anyone wants is more gusty winds to cause more trouble.

“[The] top of the tree broke off and went down into my driveway. Damaged some of my lawn ornaments, and my lamp post – broke that,” said homeowner Vicki Moffat, surveying the damage.

That’s not the only thing the Ponderosa Pine broke.

“Small hairline crack in my ceiling inside, with the nail heads, and in my laundry room,” Moffat said.

This is the aftermath of Saturday’s wind storm.

“The trees you could see across from me, they just wave when the wind blows. She happened to be looking out the bedroom window and she said, ‘Grandma, those trees in the back are really swaying,'” Moffat said.

No one was hurt. But now, getting that tree out comes with some difficulty.

“If they have to cut it down in sections, if it did more damage to my house or my driveway – if they would cover it and not hold the tree service liable for that,” Moffat said.

And, using a crane might not be up to code because of the crane’s weight.

“With the road restrictions, we’re not able to bring a crane up, because they wanted to lift and move it over,” Moffat said.

Moffatt said they’re all waiting on an okay from insurance before any crews can work on getting that out of her house. They are also looking into a lighter crane that might be able to lift the tree. For now, her family is keeping a close eye on it. Just monitoring any movement, and keeping an eye on the weather forecast.