2-year-old girl is badly injured when massive tree limb falls on Pasadena playground

A 2-year-old girl was critically injured Tuesday when a massive eucalyptus tree limb crashed onto a playground at a day-care facility in Pasadena, officials said.

The incident occurred about noon, when more than a dozen children were playing outside at Linda Vista Children’s Center, said Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.

Two other children, a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old, were treated for minor injuries caused by the fallen 20-foot tree limb.

Parents were notified of the incident, and some picked up their children early, Derderian said. The school will remain open until 6 p.m.

Social workers were on hand in case any children showed signs of emotional distress.

“They all seem to be doing pretty good,” Derderian said.

Both the playground and an adjacent city park were closed Tuesday afternoon so public works crews could evaluate the area to make sure no other hazards exist, Derderian said.

Officials are investigating what caused the limb to fall.

“We really maintain our trees on a routine basis, but Mother Nature sometimes has its own plans with things like this,” she said.

Earlier this month, a group of soccer players narrowly escaped injury at Villa Parke in Pasadena when a massive tree limb crashed to the ground, crushing a bench where the players were sitting.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek