One of the facebook gardening forums I frequent had a fig related question today. I was hoping someone here might offer some opinions or advice for this particular tree. Here is the post along with the pictures:

An Ahwatukee friend's large 5-6 year old Brown Turkey has shown odd depressions on the bark for a long time almost like the bark is eaten away halfway up the tree. Top of the tree is still alive with plenty of figs produced, but the branches are getting dwarved and showing weird warty growth on the bark. We're thinking if trimming the top of the tree off this winter, just leaving the healthy appearing lower part of the tree. Photos here from this past Sunday.

There are 4 very healthy 2-3 inch diameter branches coming out about 20 inches below the missing bark and we think we'll cut back to there in the next 4 weeks. If there is a disease that causes the sunken bark, would be good to know so we are more careful. We even thought roof rats might be eating the bark when we first noticed the damaged bark 3 years ago, but she has citrus trees with tons of fruit and no eating....so why would rats eat bark.

She gets some frost, but is on the slopes in Ahwatukee and doesn't usually see a hard freeze. Nearby Limes, Lemons planted the same year are healthy with only occasional freeze damage.

 
 
 
 

Almost looks like a fire was burned close to tree i have a magnolia tree that i burned a fire to close to it and the following year this is what it looked like. The tree looks like it is trying to repair itself. Just my opinion. Richie from louisiana .

My guess would be sun damage.

Looks like frost damage. Just a guess. The warty growth looks like the branches are trying to push roots.

See if you can get some clearer close-up pictures of the damaged areas.  I see areas that could look like squiggly lines and others that look like they might have small holes...both indications of boring beetles.  But it is really hard to tell without better pictures.
Cheers,
Jim

Well the concensus is damage but the good thing it is healing itself

Looks like an old tree (more than 5-6 years) which has probably had some years of neglect at some time, which led to insufficient canopy which led to sunburn damage of the bark. Small "warty" bumps are places where the tree is forming air-roots, which are neither good or bad - just are. Bark damage could maybe be from a freezing episode, but have never see actual pix of such damage.

I have a tree that looks just like that it was from heat burn. The bark is growing around the damage. You should be fine. Was there a fire close to the tree??

Not sure if there was a fire or not. It's more than likely frost related if not due to disease. Thanks for all the suggestions.