What to Do About a Fallen Tree and Who to Call

Steps to take if a tree has fallen:

1. Keep everyone safe: Keep well back from the fallen tree and make sure others stay clear of the area.
2. Call emergency services if needed: Dial 999 if anyone is injured or a road is dangerously blocked.
3. Report fallen trees near power lines: If the tree is touching or has brought down power lines, call 105. Do not approach it.
4. Report trees on public land: For fallen trees on Essex roads or footpaths, contact Essex Highways on 0345 603 7631.
5. Arrange professional help for private property: If the tree has fallen in your garden or on your property, contact an emergency tree surgeon to make it safe.
6. Contact your insurer: Once the immediate danger has been dealt with, get in touch with your home insurer to discuss any damage and next steps.

What should you do first when a tree falls?

The first thing to do when a tree falls is make sure everyone is safe. Keep people and pets well away from the tree, the area around its roots and any hanging branches, and do not try to move or cut it yourself.

Fallen trees are often under huge tension and compression. Trunks and branches can spring back, roll or drop without warning once they are disturbed, and partly uprooted trees can tip further as the soil shifts. Even a tree that looks settled may have broken limbs caught higher in neighbouring trees.

Once everyone is clear:

1. Check for injuries. If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 999 straight away.
2. Look for power lines. If the tree is touching or near overhead cables, stay at least 10 metres away and call 105, the free national power cut and emergency line. Always assume every cable is live.
3. Check for gas. If the roots have lifted near a gas pipe or you can smell gas, leave the area and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
4. Take photos and videos. Pictures and videos of the tree and any damage, from a safe distance, will help with insurance later.

Who is responsible for a fallen tree?

The owner of the land where a tree grew is usually responsible for it, including when it falls. If the tree is in your garden, dealing with it is normally down to you, even if it lands on a neighbour’s property.

If your neighbour’s tree falls on your property, the position depends on why it fell. Where a healthy tree comes down in a severe storm, it is often treated as an unavoidable event, and you would usually claim on your own buildings or contents insurance. Where the tree was visibly dead, diseased or dangerous and the owner knew or should have known, they may be liable for the damage. Talk to your neighbour and both insurers early, and keep your photos and videos. If you are unsure, seek legal advice.

This is one of the best reasons to have trees near homes, roads and boundaries checked regularly. A tree risk survey gives you a clear record of a tree’s condition and shows you took reasonable care.

How is a fallen tree made safe and removed?

A fallen tree is made safe by a qualified tree surgeon who assesses the tensions and compressions in the timber, secures any hanging branches and then dismantles the tree in sections. On a house, car or fence, it is lifted away in a controlled way to avoid causing further damage.

Our emergency tree surgeons in Essex respond as quickly as conditions safely allow after storms, high winds and sudden failures. Once the immediate danger is dealt with, we can:

• clear the timber and green waste, recycling it responsibly
• remove what is left of the stump with stump grinding
• check other trees nearby for storm damage, since one failure often follows another
• advise on planting a replacement tree that suits the space

A tree does not always need to come out completely. If a storm has torn off a large limb but the rest of the tree is sound, we may be able to make it safe with careful tree pruning, or a crown reduction, keeping a healthy tree standing.

Do you need permission to remove a fallen tree?

You do not need permission to make a fallen or immediately dangerous tree safe, even if it has a Tree Preservation Order or stands in a conservation area. You should keep evidence, such as photos and videos, and tell the council as soon as possible. Work beyond what is needed to remove the danger may still need consent.

Here at Crown Tree Services we check the protection status of trees with your local authority as part of every job, and can handle the paperwork for you.

How can you stop a tree falling in the first place?

The best way to stop a tree falling is to spot problems early. Look out for fungus at the base, cracks in the trunk, dead branches, a new lean or lifting soil around the roots, especially before winter storms.

A tree survey in Essex from our team picks up these warning signs and sets out sensible, tree-friendly work to keep your trees healthy and standing.

Need an emergency tree surgeon in Essex?

If a tree has fallen in your garden or on your property, call Crown Tree Services on 07803 257771 for our emergency call out. Our fully insured team covers areas across Essex, including emergency tree removal in Romford, tree surgeons in Basildon, tree surgeons in Epping and tree surgeons in Ongar.

For storm damage that is not urgent, or a tree you are worried about, contact our Essex tree surgeons for a free site visit and fixed, no-obligation quote.