Crews are working to remove a large pine tree that fell onto an Ontario home, trapping two people inside. Darsha Phillips reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2022.
Ontario resident Shawna Marsco is hugging her 16-year-old son a little tighter Saturday morning, after Friday night's strong winds blew a huge tree right into their house.
"That’s my bed sitting right there," son Nathan Green said, gesturing to what used to be his home. "So if I was in my room like I usually am, yeah, I wouldn’t be here."
He and his mom were in their living room when strong winds toppled the massive tree around 9:30 p.m. on Friday night.
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"We were just watching TV and it literally sounded like a bomb went off," Marsco said.
Friday night's strong winds blew down trees all over Southern California. Several streets in one Claremont neighborhood were entirely blocked off from traffic, cars unable to pass through.
When the pine tree -- which neighbors say is over 100 years old -- fell, it clipped the home, demolishing one side of it and trapping Marsco and her son inside, as well as their upstairs neighbor.
"Once that roof came in broken glass just shattered all over," that upstairs neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told NBC4. "It’s gone."
Marsco, her son and her neighbor had to be rescued by crews.
But the danger didn't end with the tree fall itself -- a neighbor's security camera captured the moment the tree fell, and a flash of light can be seen as it takes down power lines.
"I noticed electrical wires crossing the street and cars are just driving over them," Lafonda Lara, a neighbor, said.
Marsco, Green, their neighbor, rescue crews and those running in to help were surrounded by live wires.
"I took all my ladders off my truck, put them over the fence, jumped over the fence and started yelling," said neighbor Kevin Ellison.
Through all the chaos and debris, amazingly, no one was injured. Many in the neighborhood are calling it a miracle.
As for the three people in the home, they all feel like they've been given a second chance at life.
"It makes me scared and it makes me thankful," said Green.
