The day the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin reached the stage known as “puffy white,” one of the trees nearly went up in smoke.
Washington
Cherry tree caught on fire as blossoms near peak bloom
By the time firefighters arrived minutes later, department spokesman Vito Maggiolo said someone had extinguished a small fire at the base of the cherry tree with a dry chemical, possibly a fire extinguisher.
Firefighters doused some smoldering embers and departed. The cause of the fire is undetermined.
“The tree is expected to survive,” said Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. On Friday, officials announced the buds had reached Stage 5 of 6, and that peak bloom is three to five days away.
D.C.’s cherry blossoms — first gifted by Japan in 1912 — are beloved by visitors and residents alike. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 to April 14, and is expected to draw upward of 1.5 million people.
On Wednesday, the Park Service said it plans to remove 158 cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park during a three-year construction project to rebuild a sea wall. Litterst said the tree in question is on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin and is not among those targeted for removal.
The spokesman said an arborist inspected the tree, described as unusually tall for a cherry tree, and reported “there is no structural damage” and will remain in place.
Maggiolo said it appeared someone had stuffed trash or debris into part of the tree that had undergone decay. He said authorities do not know whether there is any connection to the small fire. Maggiolo said officials did not dispatch a fire investigator.
“There is no way to determine a cause,” the fire spokesman said.
Sgt. Thomas Twiname, a spokesman for the U.S. Park Police, said there is “no information that this was an intentional act.”