Tree care is vital to our safety. Neglect to take care of your tree and the consequences could be severe.

A large pine tree fell outside a summer day camp in Los Angeles county yesterday injuring eight children, two of them critically.

The 70-foot-tall pine tree was 75 years old and fell without warning at about 5 p.m. Tuesday outside the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena, California.

The museum is located just outside the Rose Bowl in Brookside Park.

“I heard a tree crack, and then I turned around and I saw little kids running, then I saw the tree fall on top of the little kids,” Greg Prodigalidad told ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles. “I ran over there with a bunch of parents and we just started going through the tree and the bushes and we started pulling them out.”

Six children suffered minor injuries, while two were transported to the hospital with critical injuries. The children were between the ages of 6 and 8 years old, according to fire officials. The fire department cut apart the tree using power tools to make sure no one was trapped underneath.

It’s currently unclear what caused the tree to fall, but an independent arborist has been hired to investigate the cause.

“Thank you to the City of Pasadena first responders for their quick action and support, along with our Kidspace community and parents who helped immediately following the incident,” the museum said in a statement.

It’s cases like these that remind us how important tree care is. If you have aging trees on your property, have recently moved into a new property, or suspect your tree is not in good health, contact McKinley & Associates today.

As certified arborists in Los Angeles, we are trained to inspect, diagnose and treat trees. Contact us today to schedule your tree inspection, and keep your family safe this summer.