TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — An investigation continues after a fire over the weekend at a local landmark.
Saturday, at around 7:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to the tree in the middle of Greencastle Road.
Vigo County Commissioner Brendan Kearns called the incident “incredibly unfortunate and very disheartening”. Local officials and arborists had been examining the tree recently in an attempt to save and preserve the site to the best of their ability.
Vigo County Sheriff John Plasse said he believes the incident was caused by a person.
“Why someone would do that, I don’t know. Why someone would set anything on fire that is not theirs. You know, other than normal stuff that you would burn,” said Plasse. “Yeah, it’s been kind of an icon since I’ve been here in Vigo County.”
Sheriff Plasse added that he’s unsure about the extent of the damage to the tree at this time.
