Arson ruled out in felling of Florida's 'The Senator'
(NEWSER) - A historic cypress tree, thought to be one of the oldest in the world, is no more after catching fire and being destroyed early today. "The Senator," or "The Big Tree" as Central Floridians called it, was estimated to be 3,500 years old in 1946. "It's a nightmare," says a Seminole County Fire Rescue spokesperson. A state forestry official initially suspected arson, saying that it appeared that twigs and debris were deliberately ignited at the tree's base. But the department said in a statement this afternoon that it's "ruling out arson at this point." More»
