2023-12-23 12:44:00
Thursday evening, a 63-year-old lady lost her life in Oudenaarde, the fault of the sudden fall of the imposing fir tree, which had been trapped by the wind. An incident which raises questions, while the security around these trees, which are numerous in the towns and villages of our country, are in theory largely secure. Hence this question: how to ensure that a large tree does not fall in the middle of the festivities?
The means are numerous, in reality. On the Brussels side, as elsewhere, the largest fir trees are planted in a structure, which is built around a hole made directly in the ground. On the Grand Place, vigilance is permanent around the tree, which reaches 22m in height. “If the wind blows too strong and we see that the tree is not straight, the firefighters give a notice to see if there is reason to intervene and for example to cut the tree”Adélaïde De Patoul, Spokesperson for Brussels Major Events, even tells us.
On the Wavre side, beyond a large fir tree, other trees are planted, smaller in size. Here too, security is cumbersome. “For the 5m artificial trees, there is a cone-shaped metal structure and they are weighted with concrete blocks, so you already have to go there to move it”, confirms Moon Nassiri (MR), the Alderman of the festivities of the commune of Wavre. It confirms the same surveillance approach as in Brussels. The smaller trees are also attached to walls to prevent them from tipping over.
Trees falling during Christmas is not a first. In January 2012, the tree was removed earlier than planned from the Grand Place in Brussels, due to bad weather. In 2013, that of the Palais-Royal fell. This can happen, although casualties are rare.
Christmas tree
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