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Hate to think what this is gonna cost

Post in 'The Wood Shed' started by fireview2788, May 6, 2012.

  1. fireview2788 Minister of Fire

    joined: Apr 20, 2011
    688 posts
    SW Ohio
    So, some guy in my city decided that he was going to take down a tree in his yard but failed to realize that the power lines were close. Yep, you guessed it he took them out<> . He killed power to probably close to 1000 homes and two major intersections. Of course it was a Saturday which means the power company came in on overtime to repair what he did. I was off this weekend to run the Flying Pig half marathon so I missed the fun.

    fv
    fireview2788, May 6, 2012
    #1

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    quads likes this.

  2. Jack Straw Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 22, 2008
    2,011 posts
    Schoharie County, N Y
    Yikes........I wonder if he will have to pay the bill. So much for saving some money.
    Jack Straw, May 6, 2012
    #2

  3. fireview2788 Minister of Fire

    joined: Apr 20, 2011
    688 posts
    SW Ohio
    In Ohio he is responsible for it. They will even come out and take down the main line into the house free of charge if you call but if you don't then it cha-ching. Of course this wasn't the main line to a house so I can only imagine.

    fv
    fireview2788, May 6, 2012
    #3

  4. pen Super Moderator

    joined: Aug 2, 2007
    6,071 posts
    N.E. Penna
    We took a tree down at a buddies using a lift last year. One small branch got away from the saw man up high and it took out the service on the house. This was a Saturday. He made the call to the power company and one of our good friends who works for them was not on call, but overheard his radio and where the service call was needed and decided to come over and help us out (mainly to have the opportunity to point and laugh). He hooked the power back up and was happy to do the work and wouldn't take anything for it. (so we did the norm and he had a good dozen beer tokens bought and waiting for him at his watering hole).

    As we shot the bull for a minute after he got to looking at the other trees around and noticed one we may be tempted to take down w/ the lift there. He made it clear that if we screwed up there and took that power line down, it didn't matter who the heck we knew, it was going to cost 5k!

    All in good fun.

    pen
    pen, May 6, 2012
    #4

  5. BrotherBart He Who Moderates

    joined: Nov 18, 2005
    21,942 posts
    Northern Virginia
    I dropped a tall pine a few years ago. It feel where I aimed it but hit another tree and did a 180 and the very top landed on the power line running up my driveway. Which blew the fuse on the pole down by the road on a hot humid Sunday afternoon and knocked the whole development out. I was waiting at the road when the guy drove up and I told him that some stupid Harry Homeowner had dropped on on the line. He laughed and said "Did ya break the line?". We went up the driveway and he took a saw and went up in the bucket. Saw wouldn't start. I went in the woods and came back with mine and told him that I knew one saw that would cut that tree for sure. He took it and went up and cut the thing off the line the went down and replaced the fuse. I know the CEO and the right of way supervisor for the coop and knew they were going to really get a kick out of billing me. He told me all he saw was that a tree fell on the line and that he was sitting around doing nothing anyway.

    I asked him what color his new pickup should be.
    BrotherBart, May 6, 2012
    #5
    Realstone likes this.

  6. Realstone Lord of Fire

    joined: Jan 20, 2012
    802 posts
    Southern ON
    I felled a TV mast & antenna last fall for a friend. The mast was real close to a power line so I had to drop it accurately. I cut 4" off of the front two legs, then sliced about 3/4 of the back leg. Went up to the peak of the roof and cut the anchor that held the antenna to the facia board. It dropped just where I wanted without a hitch. I bucked it into 6' rounds (well, triangles anyway) with my 5" Makita. Another friend came with his pickup and hauled it away. The trunk was much heavier than the branches, I guess the top was already dead and dried? My friend with the pickup said it was worth money to others, but I don't know who would want such a scrawny thing anyway. When I bucked it, it was all bark, no heartwood.
    Realstone, May 7, 2012
    #6

  7. firefighterjake Minister of Fire

    joined: Jul 22, 2008
    13,475 posts
    Unity/Bangor, Maine
    I stay well away from any power lines since my family has a history of taking down powerlines . . . my brother took down a power line out in the country when he was cutting down some trees near a field that he was expanding for his sheep and my uncle caused a major power outage in Belfast when he took out a line running to a transformer. For these reasons the trees I take down are no where near a power line.
    firefighterjake, May 7, 2012
    #7

  8. Defiant Minister of Fire

    joined: Dec 5, 2007
    1,877 posts
    Old Lyme CT
    Had the same luck at the first house, the one I had built that I currently live in I had them run all lines under ground.:cool:
    Defiant, May 7, 2012
    #8

  9. Flatbedford Minister of Fire

    joined: Mar 17, 2009
    4,652 posts
    Croton-on-Hudson, suburbs of NYC
    My neighbor and I took down a tree on our property line last week. The line form his house to the street was about 10 feet from the tree. He's a licensed electrical contractor and we had his bucket truck for the job. He said he'd fix it if we broke it.
    DSC07090.jpg
    Flatbedford, May 7, 2012
    #9
    Realstone likes this.

  10. Backwoods Savage Minister of Fire

    joined: Feb 14, 2007
    24,158 posts
    Michigan
    I know a farmer who misjudged when he cut a tree. Took the power line down. Power company fixed it and about 2 weeks later sent a bill for $1,500. Ouch.
    Backwoods Savage, May 7, 2012
    #10

  11. golfandwoodnut Minister of Fire

    joined: Sep 25, 2009
    1,392 posts
    Pittsburgh PA
    Underground power lines are sweet. I just have to watch out for the transformer.
    golfandwoodnut, May 7, 2012
    #11

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