COSTA MESA
City officials are puzzled about a palm tree that mysteriously caught fire in front of City Hall on Monday morning.
No one can explain the incident given there were no electrical wires near the palm tree, which stands about 50 feet. One of the culprits probably was the whipping winds that blew gusts between 15 and 25 mph.
A city employee noticed the tree ablaze about 9:45 a.m. A 10-foot section about halfway up the tree was on fire, sending flames in an easterly direction.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames from a nearby platform within minutes.
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