Century-Old Agoura Hills 'Witness Tree' Damaged In Woolsey Fire To Be Cut Down
AGOURA HILLS (CBSLA) – A towering century-old oak tree in the Santa Monica Mountains which was scorched in the 2018 Woolsey Fire is being cut down, and the public has been invited to say goodbye Saturday.
The "Witness Tree" is so called because it has "witnessed" countless films, weddings and other events at the famous Paramount Ranch, located at 2903 Cornell Rd., according to the National Park Service.
The ranch sustained serious damage in the Woolsey Fire and the Witness Tree – which has a 100-inch diameter -- was not spared. It is being cut down over before it falls over.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, the public is invited to visit the tree and take some final pictures before it is cut down. The tree is in a fenced off area for safety reasons.
Once it is cut down, biologists will count the rings to determine its exact age, NPS said in a news release.
The wood from the Witness Tree will re-purposed into benches, hitching posts and signs as part of a future Western Town that is being planned for the ranch, NPS reports.
The Woolsey Fire burned a staggering 88 percent of National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains.
On Nov. 8, 2018, the 97,000-acre Woolsey Fire broke out south of Simi Valley. It then jumped the south side of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas and spread into Malibu. The fire destroyed more than 1,500 structures and was responsible for three deaths. It was not fully contained until Nov. 21.