A Town in Alicante Removes Several Trees at Risk of Falling

The fall of a cypress tree has alarmed the town of Villena, in the Alto Vinalopó region of Alicante. The 30-year-old specimen collapsed last March, as its roots could not withstand the strong wind gusts. In response to this incident, the Town Hall commissioned a report recommending "removing" other trees.

Thus, the technical evaluation confirmed the need to remove more specimens from the town, specifically a cypress and a willow, due to the risk of collapse, explained the Councillor for the Environment, Francisco Iniesta. The report also demands reinforcing the anchorage of two other trees.

The Town Hall of Villena has taken action and has "opted for the best option for the trees and the safest for pedestrians," removing the cypress and willow specimens from Malvas Square, due to the imminent risk of falling as warned by the technical report. "The strict technical systems have advised the measures to be taken."

These conclusions were drawn after conducting various evaluations, such as a traction test that simulates wind resistance through a stress test where both the applied force and the inclination recorded at the base of each tree are measured.

The results of this test, included in the technical report, reveal that two trees have "defects" due to a "jump" in inclination of almost one degree, outside all normal safety parameters. This flaw would leave the specimen exposed to wind gusts, with a risk of collapse.

In response to this technical information, experts recommend removing the trees at risk of collapse, as has been done, and using support methods for the two trees in a lower-risk situation.

However, the Councillor for the Environment of Villena Town Hall has announced that Malvas Square will have new tree mass once the works in its entire surroundings are completed.