"The Senator," considered one of the oldest cypress trees in the world, was reduced to a stump after catching fire and collapsing Monday morning at Big Tree Park in Seminole County.

VIEW PHOTOS: The Senator catches fire at Big Tree Park

The top of the massive 3,500-year-old tree could be seen burning at the park, which is located off General Hutchinson Parkway between U.S. 17-92 and State Road 427 near Longwood.

The cause of the blaze is not known.

"With the fire being at the top of tree, it's unusual," Seminole County Fire Rescue spokesman Steven Wright said.

More than a dozen firefighters were at the park around 6 a.m., laying about 1,000 feet of hose to reach the giant tree, which Wright said burned from the inside out.

"It's a logistical nightmare," said Wright, referring to the fact that the tree is not easily accessible for vehicles. 

The tree, named after Florida Sen. M. O. Overstreet, who in 1927 donated the property on which the landmark sits, was about 125 feet tall and its trunk had a diameter of nearly 18 feet.  The tree is main attraction in the park, which was dedicated by President Calvin Coolidge in 1929.

The tree had reached a height of 165 feet before a 1925 hurricane lopped off its top.  Afterward, lightning rods were installed to protect the tree from more damage.

Lady Liberty, a 2,000-year-old 90-foot cypress tree located nearby, was not damaged.

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