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Toomer's Oaks on Fire


BigWhiskey91

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3 hours ago, alexava said:

This is how folks up here  clean up after getting their yard rolled . I never heard of any damage. 

by setting it on fire ? You must be joking. 

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2 hours ago, E'Town4Bama said:

I know you guys don't like bama fans here but seriously, this was a stupid thing to do. I'll be honest, I have no idea why the Auburn fanbase does this but it is your tradition and fine with me. Has this ever happened before with fire? TP has no problem burning.

Open letter - How does this poster get a negative number of likes? Didn't know we could do that.

To E'Town - wouldn't have done it to you on this post, even if I could,

but there are others on here...

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54 minutes ago, AUinTLoosa said:

Open letter - How does this poster get a negative number of likes? Didn't know we could do that.

To E'Town - wouldn't have done it to you on this post, even if I could,

but there are others on here...

E'turd E'Town?  The same.  You had better be worried about TAMU, UT, Arky, and the big blue monster who will put the finishing touches on destroying a promising bammer season.

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4 hours ago, AUinTLoosa said:

It is my understanding that pines are built for it. I've seen fire-scarred oaks however, that take up to a decade or so for new bark to scab over the scar. Some use pruning paint to protect the exposed heartwood from bug invasion during the healing process.

OK. Let me put it like this. A really quick fire that's over and done before it has time to do much if any damage to the nutrient and water carrying layers below the bark is not likely to do much more than cosmetic damage to the bark.  

Think of it like this: Fire is really hot, but you can pass your hand quickly over or even directly through a flame without much if any injury.  It takes time to transfer the energy of the fire to your water filled skin and body. Trees are likewise full of water. Now just as with your hand, time is a factor. You put your hand in fire and keep it there, you'll be injured.  This was as near as I can tell a really quick fire that did not have time to severely affect the trunk of the tree or the underlying phloem, cambium or sapwood layers. The canopy? All I have seen is the Toomer's Corner web cam feeds and it's tough to tell. But if the main fire burned out/was put out/controlled and was essentially over as quickly as I think it was, some small branches and twigs along with the foliage will be lost but the tree will recover.

 

(I am NOT a forestry expert or arborist. What little I know comes from almost 30 years back when I owned a small landscape company back in Selma. We did controlled burns to clear out scrub and brush from hardwood areas that we were working on from time to time. Other than some minor scorching of the outer bark, I don't know that we ever caused any lasting damage or killed a tree we didn't want killed in doing so. But like I said, I am not an expert. Heck, when I started that little company I frankly had almost no idea what the heck I was doing. The cooperative extension service -- thanks AU! -- was always a big help.)

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3 hours ago, Mikey said:

I do know a little something about trees and fire so..... A controlled or prescribed burn is often done in pine forests, but never in hardwood forests. Oaks are hardwoods and are always damaged by fire, sometimes killed and sometimes only scarred  near the ground by a smaller fire but there is always damage. Looking at the pictures, I'd guess that the tree is seriously damaged and will probably die.

That being said, this is AUBURN! Burn the trees, poison the trees, we'll plant more. To the Auburn haters of the world, to hell with you.

I agree Mikey. It burned off a lot of leaves and undoubtedly did other damage was well. Obviiusly, it was a young tree as well. Maybe we'll get lucky. 

 

And to the multiple people talking about controlled burns, that doesn't apply here. This was a young oak tree engulfed in flames all the way up for more than just a moment or two.

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not a bammer, but I think you all are giving e'town some undue grief (in this instance).  he basically stated that he respected our tradition.  he was just wondering if this had ever happened before.  it didn't seem as though he was taking any pleasure in the incident, but I could be completely wrong. I don't think he is updyke.  just saying.  

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Just now, trout54 said:

not a bammer, but I think you all are giving e'town some undue grief (in this instance).  he basically stated that he respected our tradition.  he was just wondering if this had ever happened before.  it didn't seem as though he was taking any pleasure in the incident, but I could be completely wrong. I don't think he is updyke.  just saying.  

That's how I read it. Shocked by the negativity towards him honestly 

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It's happened before. I am not sure if it was on the corner oaks though. I remember a Georgia game a while back, where some Georgia fans lit some of the toilet paper on fire. it was in the trees along College Street, but not on the corner, IIRC. I honestly think we need to put guards on the trees. Maybe something the ROTC guys could do, or a service fraternity. Or just hire guards to do it. They should start cleaning the trees about 2 hours after the game, too, in my opinion. Get the paper off right away so there's not much time for shenanigans and there will be people around them throughout the night. My hubs also said that the Auburn City Counsel needs to pass a strict ordinance that puts harsh punishments into play for someone who damages the oaks or any of the trees around the campus. 

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Shocked? The guy came and said, boy, keep doing your tradition if you want, but don't be surprised if morons set the trees on fire. I mean, tp burns, ya know?

That's absolutely the tone of his message.  Go back to all your cribbed "traditions." Like the walk of champions that you copied from Auburn. Leave the actual creative fans alone. This isn't the place for your opinion on our traditions. 

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I am a forester. Trees can withstand an incredible amount of damage and survive. However, in a stressed state(like just being transplanted, living in a more urban, polluted environment, etc) the more stressors that are added, the greater the likelihood of introducing disease or insect infestation. Unfortunately, this is likely to severely damage the tree. The crowns are very sensitive. I have completely browned out the crowns of mature pine trees in some prescribed burn operations. The flames never came close to contacting the crown and essentially roasted the crowns. Some trees do fine, others...not so much. Good thing there is a team of professionals there to care for the tree.

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2 hours ago, AURaptor said:

by setting it on fire ? You must be joking. 

Not at all. The leaves usually don't even catch fire cause the tp burns so fast. These trees do get much more tp than I have ever witnessed. That could be a difference I suppose. 

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5 hours ago, TexasTiger said:

Auburn can afford guards on game days.

Yeah, you would think Auburn would get the picture after the last attack on the trees and have security around there.  I don't understand Auburn not increasing security.

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From an article in the Plainsman about the arrest of Jochen Wiest in connection with this fire:

Quote

 

Gary Keever, horticulture professor, said he does not think the burned Toomer's Oak is dead — but the tree's future is not yet certain.

"Based on the initial appearance of the tree, I don’t think the fire has killed the tree," Keever said in an email to The Auburn Plainsman. "However, aesthetic death, when the tree declines to such an extent that it detracts from the landscape and there is little chance of it returning to its full grandeur, may warrant consideration of removal as a result of this act."

It will be days, weeks or even months before the full extent of the damage is known, Keever said.

"The full extent of the damage won’t be known for several days to several weeks, and perhaps not until we see regrowth in spring," Keever said.

 

 

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Also from his book in photo looks like his face may have kissed the concrete when he was tackled...

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2 hours ago, tiger88 said:

I agree Mikey. It burned off a lot of leaves and undoubtedly did other damage was well. Obviiusly, it was a young tree as well. Maybe we'll get lucky. 

 

And to the multiple people talking about controlled burns, that doesn't apply here. This was a young oak tree engulfed in flames all the way up for more than just a moment or two.

Again (and liking as much as I can),

limited expertise on my part, but

even limited loss of foliage (evapotranspiration, pump suction head),

combined with transplant/underdeveloped roots (restricted pump supply),

might well be more problematic (NPSH, for any mechanicals amongst us) than previous burns of previous trees that had been around for-damn-near-ever

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5 minutes ago, FoundationEagle said:

Yep. His wife apparently works in Germany according to her Facebook...Something is off here. This doesn't appear to be a crazed fan in anger. Something else going on here

 

Drunk German. 

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2 minutes ago, CleCoTiger said:

 

Drunk German. 

Aren't all Germans, Bama fans?

j/k

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