A dangerous hollow tree that threatened homes near Dallas Fair Park for years came down Thursday.
The sight of professionals and equipment to remove that tree that towered over her house was a thrill for homeowner Stephanie Cole.
“It's been a headache. Sleepless nights worried about that tree falling,” she said.
Cole and another resident in the house on the other side of the tree could not afford the thousands of dollars they were told it would cost to remove the big hollow tree between them.
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She spent years seeking assistance for the project.
Within the past few weeks, the family of the resident in the other house moved her out for fear the tree could kill her. But Cole and her husband had nowhere else to go.
Cole worried Thursday that workers would try to climb in the dangerous hollow tree.
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“I'm praying for the best for everybody that has anything to do with that tree. I will not be in that house when they start to take that tree down,” she said.
After calls from NBC 5, Dallas Code Enforcement lined up Kenlee Services to do the job at no charge to the residents.
The workers came prepared to work in the narrow space without climbing the tree.
“It was two different issues, you seen it. One, you need to go up on the tree. That would be the reason I brought the lift,” Kenlee Operations Manager Juan Valdez said.
The other issue was working in that narrow space.
With ropes, saws and ladders, working from the high lift and the roof of the vacant house at times, the crew brought down the hollow tree one small piece at a time, with no injuries or damage.
“Our motto at Kenlee Services is, ‘Live here, serve here.’ So what that means is going out into the community, being hands-on active in the community,” said Kenlee Marketing Manager Madeline Johnson.
It was an answer to prayers for the residents.
“I never thought I would see the day. Oh my God, it's down,” Cole said.
After all the commotion Thursday, Stephanie Cole took an afternoon nap in her house, sleeping soundly, without the dangerous tree overhead.
