Did Florida's Oldest Tree Spontaneously Combust?

Investigators ruled-out arson as a possible cause for the fire that claimed Florida's The Big Tree, saying that the fire that lead to its demise was caused from the inside. This mind-boggling predicament has some suggesting that a weeks-old lightning strike might have caused the fire, or that the swaying of the branches in the wind could have ignited a spark. The truth is that no one knows for certain what burned down The Big Tree, but it does not appear that it was a malicious attack by a human being.

The Big Tree was estimated to be 3500 years old. It has left a literal financial hole in the community where it resided, as it provided most of their tourism. A memorial is being considered.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011