Auburn: Do not roll burned tree
Auburn University is asking fans to refrain from rolling with toilet paper the oak tree at Toomer’s Corner that was intentionally set on fire last weekend following Auburn’s 18-13 victory over LSU.
Auburn plays the University of Louisiana-Monroe in its homecoming game Saturday afternoon.
The restriction will be in place until a further assessment of the tree’s health can be made.
Fans celebrating are asked to keep any rolling to the trees along College Street.
The tree alongside Magnolia Avenue was significantly burned.
A 29-year-old Auburn man, Jochen Wiest, has been arrested and charged with starting the fire.
“There is little of no healthy foliage on the burnt tree. Most of the remaining leaves will drop off over the next week or so. We will have to wait until next spring to see what long-term effects the fire had,” said Auburn horticulture professor Gary Keever.
He will examine the tree closer this week.
“I don’t think the fire killed the tree but we may never see it return to its appearance before this act,” he said.
Larry Gierer: 706-571-8581, @lagierer
This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Auburn: Do not roll burned tree."