A very large chestnut tree came down on East 10th ave, and I noticed in the cut sections, the center of the tree seems to be hollowed out. In some places it's packed with debris, and others it just seems like mud. What would cause this to happen? Is this what caused the tree to fall? Is there a way of identifying this issue in the other trees?
Heart rot is a fungal disease that causes the decay of wood at the centre of the trunk and branches. Fungi enter the tree through wounds in the bark which leads the heartwood to decay.
Agree with Margot; with that amount of decay, it's no surprise it came down - just hope no-one was hurt. It is possible, but costly, to examine the trees with ultrasound probes to detect decay cavities. As an aside, it's a Horse-chestnut (Aesculus), not a Chestnut (Castanea).
