DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM This 70- to 75-foot pine tree that crashed into a Manoa house earlier this month, injuring a 12-year-old girl, has spurred an increase in calls for tree inspections and cutting in some areas.

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Tree’s crash
in Manoa spurs
rise in trimmings

It takes one bad tree to bring down a bunch of good ones.

Concerned residents have been calling tree-trimming companies to cut down their Norfolk pines, even when healthy, after a large pine crashed into a Manoa home and struck a 12-year-old girl.

"I think the incident created fear among homeowners," said David Salakielu, owner of Imua Landscaping Co.

Imua Landscaping and a few other tree-trimming companies have received more calls than usual in the last two weeks after a 70- to 75-foot Norfolk Island pine tree sliced through Julia Engle's home on Beckwith Street the morning of March 15.

The residents who have called often want the trees inspected or immediately removed from their property even though the trees are healthy. And cost seems to be no object: It costs $300 to $4,000 to remove a tree.

Salakielu, who has been in the tree-trimming business for almost 30 years, said he experienced a 15 percent increase in phone calls from concerned residents.

So far, workers in his company have cut down three Norfolk pines in Nuuanu, Pearl City and Aiea. Two trees were healthy while one showed signs of rot in the roots, Salakielu said.

Sherwood Gould, owner of Sherwood's Tree Service, said his company has removed seven pine trees from people's yards in various parts of the island since the tree fell in Manoa.

"A lot of them are healthy," he said. "Everybody is worried about their tree falling on their neighbor."

Workers with Sherwood's Tree Service have cut down pine trees in Manoa, Mililani and Hawaii Kai.

Gould said his company receives about three to four phone calls a day regarding pine trees. "Some don't want it checked out, they just wanna cut 'em," he said.

Workers are also removing other types of large trees, Gould said. On Friday, workers cut down six Italian cyprus trees in Mililani.

Sergio Vasquez, owner of S&V Landscape Inc., said his business experienced a 10 percent increase in phone calls.

"We get a lot of calls from St. Louis Heights, Manoa and Palolo," Vasquez said. Workers have since removed three Norfolk pine trees in Manoa and St. Louis Heights.

"They were healthy trees. People tend to be afraid of them after the accident even though they're healthy," he said.

But the tree companies are not necessarily jumping at the opportunity to take the money and cut any tree. Some trimming company owners are telling residents to hire a tree expert to inspect their trees first.

"There's been a slight increase in the number of calls to inspect city trees," city spokesman Bill Brennan said.

Arborist Steve Nimz of The Tree People was hired by the city to examine the fallen tree, as well as other pine trees on Beckwith Street. Brennan said the evaluation is ongoing and the city is expected to have results within two weeks.

Another tree-trimming company, The Tree People have experienced a 25 percent increase in phone calls.

"The majority of the people who are calling want to have their trees inspected," Nimz said. "There are definitely a few that want the tree gone."

He noted that they are trying to make people aware that just because one tree fell in Manoa doesn't mean every tall tree will fall.