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By: Casey Roberts 

Contributing Writer

 

After deadly tornadoes ripped through parts of Somerset and London on May 16, leveling homes and scattering lives, Stanford’s Bronson Bennett didn’t wait for a call to action — he loaded up his truck and answered it himself.

Bennett, owner of Bennett Tree Company, has spent the days since the storm making repeated trips from Lincoln County to Laurel County, offering what he can: his time, his skill, and his equipment — all at no charge.

“I just feel like I’m in a position now where I’ve been blessed enough to help, so I should,” Bennett said. “Even if it’s not financial, I can donate my two hands. I’ve got a skill that not many people have, and if it can make a difference, then why wouldn’t I use it?”

Bennett, a trained climber and tree removal specialist, has been tackling some of the most dangerous jobs in the cleanup effort — cutting twisted, broken limbs still hanging high above rooftops, removing massive trees from unstable structures, and using his skid steer to clear debris so emergency workers and residents can move safely through the hardest-hit areas.

“When you get there, it’s overwhelming,” Bennett said. “You see families who’ve lost everything. One man told me he’d just paid off his home and was about to enjoy retirement. Now it’s gone. That kind of loss sticks with you.”

Bennett’s path into the tree business wasn’t easy. He got his start climbing communication towers and later began cutting trees around power lines after finding out his wife was pregnant. At first, he didn’t even own a chainsaw — just a Toyota Camry and a willingness to work.

“I was the least paid guy on every job. I was borrowing gear, paying people to bring trailers, trucks — I built it slow,” he said. “Now I’ve got a decent amount of equipment, and I’m still growing. But every step forward makes me want to give back more.”

Bennett and his crew specialize in what he calls the “tough jobs” — dangerous, technical removals that require experience and the right equipment. With dozens of homes in need of emergency crane work, he says the work is far from over.

“There’s a difference between cutting a tree in your backyard and cutting one off someone’s roof. That’s what we do best,” he said. “We’re getting ready to head back out — 22 houses need trees removed from structures, and that’s something you’ve got to do right.”

While relief organizations, church groups, and volunteers have poured into the area, Bennett says the need remains staggering.

“There were hundreds of us — Mennonites, contractors, roofers, tree guys — and it still didn’t feel like we were making a dent. That’s how big the damage was,” he said. “But everyone did what they could, and that matters.”

For those looking for expert tree removal services, Bennett Tree Company can be reached via Facebook or by calling directly. But Bennett makes it clear: helping people rebuild — that’s the real reward.

“It’s just a Kentucky thing,” he said. “Your neighbor’s neighbor has your back, and you’ve got theirs. That’s how it’s always been.”