Sudden tree collapse reported on De Neve Drive, near residential buildings

This post was updated Feb. 4 at 4:29 p.m.

A large tree fell on De Neve Drive just in front of Holly and Gardenia residential buildings Monday evening.

De Neve Drive was closed for about two hours following the fall and the Canary Island Pine tree was removed overnight, said chief sustainability advisor of UCLA Facilities and Management Nurit Katz. No injuries were reported, she added.

The fall was reported at 6:20 p.m. and the tree was found blocking pedestrian and vehicle traffic, said assistant director of leadership and involvement for UCLA Residential Life Josh O’Connor.

O’Connor said crews from Facilities and Management were on the scene shortly after the call and started clearing the tree from the street at around 6:30 p.m.

Strong winds in Southern California were reported yesterday with gusts of about 13 miles per hour near the time of the fall, according to the National Weather Service.

The winds reportedly brought down trees and caused power outages across the region, according to CBS Los Angeles.

More strong winds are expected Tuesday night with gusts potentially as strong as 20 miles per hour, according to the NWS.

Students who were walking by the scene said they were shocked by the sudden collapse.

“It’s crazy how just a couple of days ago it was 78 degrees, nice and warm, and now it’s so windy that a tree has fallen down,” said third-year African American studies student Antoneil Carter.

Carter, who lives in Holly, said that she was happy no one was injured.

Rebecca Meshkani, a third-year sociology student, was riding up to Hedrick Summit on a Bird e-scooter when she saw the blocked road. She said she had never seen something as crazy as this.

“I was riding a Bird up to get to Hedrick Summit (where I dorm) and I wasn’t able to get to my dorm,” Meshkani said. “I had to walk down the Hill and use another path.”