On Tuesday 10th February 2021 at around 5:00pm, the Cotton Tree at Siaka Stevens Street near the main law court building in Freetown caught fire, again, scaring passersby, both vehicular and pedestrian.
The District Traffic Officer at the Central Police Station, ASP Sahr Steven Sorie Baio, said he and his men came to see the president dispatched to his home when they saw the historic tree on fire.
“We called the National Fire Force (NFF) to come and put out the fire,” he said.
On the cause of the fire, ASP Baio could only speculate. “I think the mad people loitering around it could have caused the fire,” he added, and suggested that the tree be cut down or trimmed to protect people. “The other day, one of its branches fell. It happened that those mad people were not there or they could have been seriously hurt.”
For his part, Inspector Koon called on the Freetown City Council (FCC) to always send their Metropolitan Police officers to be at the tree to prevent mad men from loitering there. “FCC is responsible for the monitoring of the city,” he noted.
The Fire Force personnel took hours to extinguish the fire as it happened in the cavity of the tree. One fire engine and over half a dozen officers were on the scene. The incident attracted sizeable onlookers as many had just finished work when the fire started. Those who were there had mixed feelings about the deciduous tree.
Karim Momoh said the tree is symbolic and reminds people of the history of the nation. “I do not think it should be cut down. It reminds us of our resilience and the Lion Mountain. Why is it always catching fire though?” he asked.
Alpha Mason, an old man, said the Cotton Tree should not be cut down. But Sahr Kono said the tree is mystical. “It caught fire last year and again this year. I do not believe it’s madmen that are causing fire to it. For the safety of people passing here including vehicles I think it should be cut down.”
The tree is Freetown’s historic symbol and the city’s most famous landmark. Nobody is sure how old the tree is, but it is known to have existed in 1787 when the first settlers arrived. According to some sources, the Cotton Tree is 500 years old. It is believed that when a group of former African American slaves who had gained their freedom by fighting for the British during the American War of Independence landed in Freetown, they apparently rested and prayed underneath its shade.
DT/11/02/2021
By david.thoronka@awokonewspaper.sl