One of the world's oldest cypress trees -- estimated to be 3,500 years old -- collapsed early Monday after catching fire in Seminole County, Fla.
The 119-foot-tall bald cypress -- known as "The Senator" -- reportedly went up in flames after a nearby brush fire spread to Big Tree Park in Longwood, Fox affiliate WOFL-TV reports.
Fire crews responded to the scene early Monday morning and deployed hundreds of feet of hose to battle the flames, according to the station.
The Seminole County Fire Rescue team said the crew had to pull back from the fire at around 7:45 a.m. after a 20-foot section of the tree, including several branches, fell off.
Fire officials reportedly said the tree collapsed after burning from the inside out.
"It started with a brush fire," Seminole County Fire Rescue spokesman Steve Wright told the Orlando Sentinel. "The Senator was in the way. It was a casualty of the brush fire."
The historic tree stood at 165 feet before a hurricane destroyed its top in 1925.
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Fire destroys Big Tree Park’s The Senator tree: MyFoxORLANDO.com
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