One way to stop fires where you live

[bluealtered]

Hopefully this may help some of us in the future to keep from losing everything we own to the fires that yearly ravage some parts of our nation. You see i live in an area that has winds of 50-70mph every year and we are also known as a "tree city" but we very rarely if at all have power problems anymore.

We did in the past have the same power/fire problems as California has every year and for the same reason, at that time the utility company here was Cal-Pac and just like PG&E they ran everything into the ground and when they were forced to do all the repairs needed they simply left the state. This left our end of the state without a power utility company.

The people in our part of Eastern Oregon got together and formed a electrical co-op that now is a state wide shining example of what can be done if you try. We went from having long power outages in the winter when the winds blow hard to no power outages or very rarely having them.

One of the most important reasons for this is because our utility co-op hired a very good tree trimming company to trim or remove trees from under or near the power lines as needed, they would even replant trees that had to be removed, with ones that wouldn't grow tall enough to contact the lines above if the home owner wanted.

We found that it's a heck of a lot cheaper to remove trees from under the power lines than watch as you or your neighbors lose everything they worked for. We have members here who have gone through this and our hearts go out to them as they try to regain some of what they had before the fire.

 

[rammac]

Several states that I've lived in have been trimming their trees for decades with great success (Kansas and Montana to name a couple), California is simply too full of childish narcissists that can't accept reality. You can make all the suggestions that you want but they wont change how they manage their trees, they'll just blame someone or something else rather than accept that their perception of nature is fouled up and destructive.

 

[Texas10]

I watched this happen (trees contacting power lines, starting fires) in my own neighborhood here in Texas. The day before I was out on my driveway as a microburst hit at about 4 in the afternoon, labor day. My first clue was when a section fence from my across the street neighbors home blew past me knocking down my fence. Then the horizontal rain, wind and debris. Fortunately the first thing to go was the top cross tree on the power lines that bordered our neighborhood. The cross tree with the lines snapped off and fell into a neighbor's pool and so the power went out.

After that, trees, fences, chimneys, roofs, windows all took a major hit. Winds were probably in excess of 100 mph. A 4x4 fence post was sticking out of the top of the roof of a two story home nearby. Power was out for about 14 hours as crews trimmed trees under the power lines (buzz saws going all night long) and restoring power.

Next morning with the power on, I noticed freshly pruned tree limbs touching the now energized lines, sizzling, bursting into flames and falling onto the mostly dry lawns of neighbors. Then the smoke and flames of a fire was visible across the street. I called the fire department and hustled over to the neighbors home (they were gone for the holiday weekend) and started working on the fire with the garden hose. By the time I got it under control, it'd taken most of his backyard and was working on what was left of the fence after the big blow. It didn't get to the house structure, which fortunately was brick facade.

The fire chief and I stood there watching the power lines prune the trees and drop flaming debris onto backyard lawns. He made a call and the tree trimming crews were back out for another 16 hours of buzz saws and chippers running until midnight. Trees looked awful after all that, but never had a fire again.

The problem in California is those escaping the high cost of living in the bigger cities, moved into the heavily forested rural areas, bringing power lines and fast growing trees with them. For decades the power company with a monopoly hold on the market and overly concerned with profit to shareholders failed spend the money to maintain equipment and clear trees from around lines. Now their only choice is to cut power to customers when the wind blows, which I imagine really sucks if you're one of the affected customers.

I got out of Ca over 20 years ago. Glad I did as I read my old neighborhood was without power during the recent wind event. Forecast is for more wind events, more and bigger outages, and more lawsuits. But hey, that's California!

 

[bsekf]

Heard a news report, the CA fires are in areas that have not had a controlled burn in decades! Might that be some of the problem?

 

[dsculley]

The last time I was in Lake Tahoe I was told that CA did not believe in control burns. They had even stopped people from gathering downed wood for their own use. Why burn the debris in a fireplace when it can help burn down your house?

I just don't understand the way some people think!

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Here in my town the power company has the right of way for power lines. If a tree is a problem they cut it and clean up is the land owners problem.. I can see places where the tops of the trees are missing.. While the wind does cause some problems here it's usually not tree related, but line slapping.. SW Wyoming

 

[pirate ammo]

I watched this happen (trees contacting power lines, starting fires) in my own neighborhood here in Texas.

When I was getting to buy this piece of dirt I got the power co. people were out looking at the trees close to their lines, I let them know to feel free to cut all they wanted it would't hurt my feelings.
When I returned a month later lot of trees gone big wide path and all cleaned up.That was right after the fire in Bastrop County,TX,everything on this place was burnt to the ground.
Around here if you have one that needs to come down and there's any chance it might fall onto their lines they'll take it down for you,,one call, thats all.

 

[boltfluter]

If it gets to burning to bad just push the entire state into the ocean. That will surely put out the fire!!

Paul

 

[Engrbill]

Commiefornia can easily fix the problem the way they do for everything. Simple, just make a law that there can't be any wildfires.

 

[Bill K]

The last time I was in Lake Tahoe I was told that CA did not believe in control burns. They had even stopped people from gathering downed wood for their own use. Why burn the debris in a fireplace when it can help burn down your house?

I just don't understand the way some people think!

It is the mentality of the politicians in Sac gov ( Newsom and his type) along with the tree huggers, enviro people. Don't touch anything, let nature alone. Then the brush and old debris and dying trees and brush are also left to build and when a spark hits it, away it goes like a blow torch with wind. Newsom even condemned PG&E for the black outs and shutting off power, but then turns around and blames them for starting the fires with power line sparks or down lines. They are just plain ignorant and stupid now days in these anti groups and politicians.

 

[swd]

I think the power outages here is just Newsome training Californians for what it will be like when they push us into full socialism..

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

My local co-op is pretty good about trimming and they are in the process of burying lines. It'll take a while but will be worth it in the long run, IMO. I live in a rural area. When there have been MAJOR outages, it can take a while for them to get to my low priority level...I have a generator, just in case. Otherwise, my utility companies are pretty good and quite proactive. My phone co-op is my internet provider. My internet is not the best right now but fiber is going in and I should have it by year end-ish. Better internet than most anywhere in the US, right here in the boon-docks. The biggest complaint locally is water, sewer and garbage pickup costs, all on the same bill. I have a septic system and a very good well. But, the reason for the cost is proactive measures taken by the water company to upgrade to future water quality standards ahead of many ares. Eventually, they too will have to pay that piper, so to speak. Kentucky isn't as backwards as it is on tv....Or, not all of it. It does have some small pockets left in some areas, though.

 

[jpx2rk]

The local power/utility boards & co-ops around here are constantly trimming/pruning trees, but they are not the least bit concerned about the appearance afterwards. Three or four yrs ago the trimming company (sub-contractor) was in the neighborhood where we have above ground power lines but then the feed from the pole to the house is underground.

Was walking the dog and saw them trimming some trees near/entangled with the power lines, so I thought "that's good" and kept on walking the dog. Next day I was walking the dog again, and notice where the tree trimming was complete. They had cut a big "C" shape out of the side of the tree to allow clearance around the above ground power lines. They didn't top the tree out, just cut the big "C", looked pretty bad IMO, but the power lines did have the clearance they needed.

I see those tree trimming contractors on a regular basis along state hwys and county hwys as well. It's good thing because we can have high winds at times, or straight line winds, etc., around here. Better than a fire for sure, we have enough of the "bubbas" whose favorite line is "hold my beer".

 

[Rsadams]

Like pirate ammo , I live were the Bastrop complex fire was and I lost everything because of trees not being trimmed and dead trees not being removed from around lines... This happens every year in some states , they need to stop being tree huggers and cut fire lines and breaks to help get a place to stop these fires when they get started.....

My street is about 2 miles long and a dead end , half of it burned to the ground , the other half they bombed it with the red stuff to stop it.... It was extremely thick pine and brush.... Even after the guys saw what can/will happen , were it didn't burn they still haven't cleared off their property or even away from structures... This I can't understand and when it happens again they will surely lose their places.... To not clear the brush away from structures at least 50 feet back is ignorance at best.... Don't get me wrong it's not for sure to stop it because of floating debris in the air that float for miles but it sure won't hurt anything...

After going through one of these fires my heart goes out to everyone effected , it's a miserable feeling waiting to see if you're homeless and everything is gone... Dealing with the insurance companies and all the other BS that comes along with it is absolutely horrible.... Please video your possessions regular and make sure your insurance coverage is enough... If you live in a place were this can happen keep all your important papers in a box were you can grab and go etc... YOU can do alot to help your property from being destroyed by fire and there's plenty of good information right here on the internet on how....

 

[Rick300]

Around here the tree trimming company just finished up. They spent weeks cutting brush and trees - that were not endangering the power lines whatsoever. They cut everything BUT the trees touching or close to the lines. Complete and total incompetence at all levels is the new normal in Kalifornia.
You would think that the voters would revolt, but the cities didn't lose power, and that's where most of the votes are. I don't think this state can be saved, at least in my lifetime.

 

[Ned Ludd]

The California government wants to blame wildfires on pretty much anything. They will blame PG&E, anthropogenic climate change, or whatever else may happen to serve as a convenient scapegoat. The fact of the matter is that these fires have been occurring since time began...they're not some new or unexpected event. They occur most often during the hot, dry windy periods of the late summer/early fall months known to the locals as Santa Anas. In fact, they can actually have some beneficial effects to trees and animals in the region, with the exception, of course, of humans.

Improvement of CA's forest management in fire-prone regions is certainly a part of the solution, but will not by itself remedy the situation. As compared to even just a decade or two ago, there are many, many, many more people living in the high risk areas. Their occupation of these areas, which I'm sure they believe is their "right", brings along a host of things that exacerbate the problem, such as many more power lines, homes and offices that provide fuel and dramatically increase the chances of an ignition event. The roadways in many of the regions are totally inadequate to provide escape routes for the number of people living there. The power grid infrastructure in many areas is old and in sore need of modernization. However, that costs money...a LOT of money, and the customers are the first ones to start howling if their rates go up. They and the government also start howling when they turn the power off, or when equipment failures start fires. So the power company is going to lose no matter what action they take.

I think its completely fair to point out to the residents of these areas that their very existence in those regions is a big part of the problem. It is no different than living in Tornado Alley, or owning a home right on the beach where hurricanes are commonplace, or building a home on top of an active fault line. These events happen, and living smack in the middle of fire/tornado/earthquake/hurricane country greatly increases the odds something bad will happen. If you choose to do that, accept the fact that sooner or later, Mother Nature's going to get you if you keep giving her the finger.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Here's my feeling on the fires.

Anyone who studies history knows that it repeats itself over and over again. Why do people build houses in these areas. In particular, why in the hell do they rebuild after the first house burns to the ground?

I feel the same way about flood zones. Again why do people build in these areas and why do they rebuild after a flood? I would like to see insurance companies refuse to renew a policy, after a house is flooded or burned to the ground.

Every time there is a fire in California, the rest of the country pays for it in increased insurance rates.

Just like I would not build a house in a dry creek bed at the bottom of a mountain, I would not build in a flood plain nor a wild fire area.

Yes I am a hard ass and yes I do not live in an area with these problems. And I do realize that my posting here is going to cause a ruckus. So be it.

 

[swd]

I can tell you part of the tree problem is the contracted tree trimmers get paid by the cut. They cut just enough so they get to come back year after year and cut the branch over and over. The problem of limbs having plenty of clearance is never fixed. And then PG&E never checks their work or doesn’t care, I don’t know which. I can literally take dozens of pictures along my driveway and neighborhood of trees massively entangled in power lines that get “trimmed” every year.

 

[nicholst55]

Once Cali becomes a full-blown 3rd World nation, complete with only sporadic electrical power for a few hours each day, they'll doubtless have far fewer wildfires. Shouldn't take long.

 

[SEM]

I think the power outages here is just Newsome training Californians for what it will be like when they push us into full socialism..

you said it all, to the nay Sayers just wait it'll come your way too