Tree on Powerline 2019

Mike, a Timber Crew member, and John, an Engine Crew member, volunteered to address a downed tree along a Forest Service road—an easement through national forest lands to a private inholding—that was blocking a driveway, and also widen this narrow road at the permit holder’s request. The plan was to use a dozer to push the trees out of the way to widen the road.  They arrived at the site at 1250. Mike hopped out and identified a green 11-inch DBH tree that needed to be fallen to widen the road. After falling the tree, John proceeded to buck it up and then low stump it. Mike then unloaded the dozer and started pushing and knocking down hazard trees. After the dozer work was completed, as Mike was loading the dozer back onto the transport, he noticed that there was what appeared to be a powerline under the tree that John had just fallen. They determined that the powerline under the tree looked to be severed about 75 feet from the tree, between two power poles. The line did not appear to be active. However, this was not confirmed. Furthermore, it was not clear whether or not the line had previously been down—or if falling the tree had torn it down.

Mike believed that the line was dead because of where it had broken off. He therefore cleared the line out from under John’s fallen tree by picking it up in his hands and rolling it up.

RLS, Project Work, Falling Operation, Non Fire, Heavy Equipment, Tree Felling