Fire damages historic magnolia tree

TIFTON - A fire this weekend at Tifton's landmark magnolia tree left the tree damaged and destroyed part of a deck underneath.

Fire department reports said firefighters were called at 3:28 p.m. Sunday and found the tree and surrounding area in flames. The cause of the fire, which was reported by employees at COI who told authorities they saw smoke coming from the tree, is unknown.

Located off Magnolia Industrial Boulevard, the 69-foot-tall tree is believed to be the second largest in the United States and is often listed as one of Tifton's tourist attractions. Its 105-foot crown spread gives the tree a bush-like appearance, with branches growing up out of the ground surrounding the central trunk. Some sources list its age as more than 100 years old and others as approximately 400.

It was named a landmark tree in the Georgia Landmark and Historic Tree Register in 1995.

In response to previous problems with vandalism, the magnolia is surrounded by a chain-link fence.

On Monday, leaves on one side and at the back of the tree were visibly brown and withered by the fire. It was not known whether the damage was severe enough to cause the tree to die.