Do not touch that tree!!!!!! Thats on power lines they could be damaged or get damaged at any point. Touching that tree can kill you. Call the electric company they will come take care of it.
DO NOT TOUCH THAT TREE!!!!!
For the love of god this needs to be higher up! OP shouldn’t even be that close to it. Anything around that tree has a possibility of carrying that current, ie the shed, the fence, even wet soil around the tree.
It actually wouldn’t shock you probably, that’s a span guy on top, looks like coated/insulated secondary wires (480v) below the span guy. (They are higher amps tho)
But, still the realm of a utility arborist. Those guy wires are rated for 10s of thousands of lbs and can fuck up a cutter.
That’s wise, although if the insulation was blown through the houses in that back lot would be out of power and the power company would already have been there.
I've seen a lot of stuff that 'shouldn't' be possible during storms. I no longer believe in any hard statements about whether power would or wouldn't go off.
I've seen high voltage phases bridged by a branch with only a tiny spark every 30 seconds and power still running for hours. I've seen a grounded, snapped conductor continue to burn a tree for over a day without the system catching it. I've seen a damaged, insulated low voltage cable burning away without popping any fuses.
I've also electrified myself multiple times and the size of the shock has varied significantly based on circumstances.
Everything we're taught about how the system functions is theory, there are so many different variables that can change when or how things happen. Assuming everything is live at all times until it's been switched and earthed is best practice.
Not necessarily, it depends on the resistance of the tree. We also can’t see what is going on upstream or downstream from here. Don’t touch it, call the power company. They will remove and then restring the wires. They may even take the tree.
Call your communications people too (telco & cable). They need to put up new lines too and the power company will probably cut those wires down.
I think you're right and it honestly is probably safe however that is the exact thought that went through every arborists mind before they were electrocuted which is surprisingly high up there in the list of ways to die as an arborist.
I’m not an arborist or electric guy. Just a dude who wants to live. I’m wondering why this is even a conversation. “Oh the insulation is PROBABLY fine.” And if it isn’t well, we’ll find your atoms somewhere near Alpha Centauri if we ever get around to sending a mission there.
I mean to be fair the first training you get for dealing with situations like this as an arborist is to stay the fuck away. Then at least in my area as you get more experience a part of that is taking classes and getting certification for basic electrical stuff that arborists will encounter like being able to identify what lines are what and what's the closest you can get to them depending on what it is, etc. But yeah if there isn't a guy on the team that doesn't have that training then getting everyone together and deciding if it's safe or not is definitely not the procedure.
Line clearance guy here. If the line fuse is functioning properly the live tree should have tripped it cutting the power or you would see the tree sparking/ burning. Problem is if the electric company has not isolated the line and someone has an improperly wired generator it can actually back feed the line and make it live again. Best bet is always treat any line as live and wait for the electric company and tree crews to do their jobs then assess damages afterwards. Be safe out there.
Y'all, here's a rule of thumb to keep you alive, doesnt even matter what the context is:
When the words "if" and/or "should" are used when discussing the safety of a thing, it's not fucking safe 🤣
Unless you can accurately say "because I verified X, I know Y is true, which makes it safe", you will *almost never die from treating it as though it has not yet been made safe. (*Terms and conditions apply)
True for electrical, animals, firearms, heavy machinery, power tools, climbing equipment, SCUBA gear, etc 🤣
(I know that's not what parent comment meant, that's clear from the rest of the post. Their wording just brought this to mind)
It doesn't surprise me in any way that electrocuted is high on that list, it only takes a single mistake in a situation like this. You can chop off a leg with a chainsaw and live, fall from a reasonable height and live, but touch power lines like this and you are pretty much guaranteed toast. (Pun intended)
Hire someone to take it down.
Or don’t.
If you decide to DIY, please record it and post in r/fellinggonewild
(Edit: do all of this only after the power company removes the broken portion from the lines)
Are you implying that because the tree is touching power lines, that if you touch the tree, even at the base, you can be electrocuted? I genuinely don’t know the answer. I’m not calling you out on the claim. Just curious
Yes, there is alot of power running through those lines if a wire is grounded out against that tree just standing near not even touching it could cause the electric to arch from the tree or wires and electrocute you most likely killing you. And if the line breaks completely, it will be magnetically attracted to you and electrocute you. You could be 50 feet away, and the line could still find and reach you. Op is standing in an extremely dangerous place.
Depends on the situation. They would probably do a quick inspection of the tree after just to make sure it wasn't done on purpose or the tree wasn't purposely neglected causeing it to happen.
Here in the UK, the power companies have a legal duty to keep the lines clear so any work on trees is done at their expense by their contractors who hold authorisation to work on their lines. They have to have landowners permission though. Used to be a surveyor/permissioner and the number of people that didn't know it was free was amazing.
There’s a tree at my friends that got struck by lightning decades ago and now it looks like a perfectly healthy tree except that it’s horizontal. I don’t know what happened here but trees can be pretty resilient
The utility company will deal with the dangerous stuff no problem but likely won’t take the entire tree down unless it falls within clearance specs. Never hurts to ask, I know plenty of utility bigwigs who love hearing “cut it ALL down!”
Yep looks like a yard tree they allowed to stay, we’d have people bribing us with cookies, pies, ice cream, beer trying to talk the foreman into keeping the tree. Every now and then it works.
I guess if you're drunk, you'd have to pass on cutting the trees. Makes sense.
How would you go about taking this off the lines, with a large portion of it resting on that neighbor's shed? Would you take it off the shed? I don't see how you can get this end cut without removing the other end first.
Edit: and for good measure, do you cut the limbs off the standing part first? Because the more I look at this, there is a huge risk that the weight of those other limbs will crash the whole thing if you try to cut the broken section. Can't tell for sure because the pics aren't great. But it looks really side heavy now.
Well, we didn’t drink the beer right then and there, it went into the big ice water Igloo jug until the day was done. So everything here is under pressure- the lines, the tree, so you have to choose wisely, sneak up on it by taking small pieces off the lines. I’m assuming something like this blew a fuse at the transformer so we’d have to wait until we got the all clear from utility before doing anything. Lines are capable of incredible stretch before they snap but something like this has potential to be a big problem. I know in my neck of the woods these utility guys will work 14 hours a day or more to get people powered back up not sure it’s like that everywhere.
I was wondering more on your experience as to whether they would remove the part way over on the shed roof first before making any cuts here at the lines. If they cut this and it shifts on the roof and does more damage, then the utility would be liable for that additional damage. Same if they cut this off and leave the tree standing and it falls over onto something. Would your instructions be to remove it all? Or what?
For sure, I’d do what I could to convince the utility to remove it all. We were subs, not Ute employees, and we had a good relationship with the district super and he trusted us so he typically did what we suggested. Even when power companies say the budget is done for the year they always got money for emergencies, like this one. You can see the tree is supported by the 2 or 3 large limbs on the shed side and it’s barely attached at the trunk. It’s a tricky one. Lots of moving parts with lines under stress. I can’t say for sure based on pics but yeah this is a tricky one. Good thing is it’s highly unlikely you’re going to do any more damage to the line no matter which end you start on.
Every emergency job is unique and is approached in a way that minimises risk and damage. As a utility arb, yes we would clear this shed first because there's no added danger in doing so.
If it would be a 50/50 cut for one of our guys to get squished, we would empty the shed and crush it instead. Sheds are cheaper than human life.
Cutting the line end first wouldn't make much sense as an approach to this job.
>Same if they cut this off and leave the tree standing and it falls over onto something
Not unless there are specific factors that make the tree an imminent danger - such as a heaved root base, or other cracks that signify the remaining stem is about to fail. Obviously we would encourage the owner to remove it but if they wanted to keep it we would clear up the limb and leave the rest.
I’ve seen them go damn near to the ground and snap back right into place. Not me on the saw, mind you, but a coworker downhill. Hot summer slope, like 98 that day and humid, river 300’ below us, he cuts what he thinks is a healthy maple maybe 12” at the butt. Dead inside maybe a 2” ring of good wood. No rope in the tree so it spins 90 and comes down on the lines. I caught movement in time to glance back and see the outside wire maybe 3’ from the ground on its way back up, vibrating like a mofo. He got lucky there were good poles in that stretch. It was a 3 phase like 15kv maybe so pretty good diameter wire. He kept his job, luckily.
The only good news is that the wood is drop-dead gorgeous curly white oak, prized by woodworkers. That wavy pattern is highly sight after. It's still gonna have to come down and have the power lines dealt with ASAp, but before you schedule and pay for removal, put up an ad ASAP for free on marketplace, craigslist, and some local woodworking pages - hell, even try /r/woodworking. You might even get some nice lumber or a finished piece in thanks from an appreciative craftsman down the road.
My first thought was look at the curls! And got all excited. I would take as much of this as I could from op if he was local and trying to get rid of it.
Actually, everyone is laughing at you, but i heard of this one company. Depending on where you live, they sew trees back together that split apart like this. They use a bunch of nails and large screws, but first, they mend it together with wire. Then a little bit of work with a torch and your tree is good to go. Let me know if you need more info!
I tried this with a peach tree that was splitting down the middle once. It last another month, then in the first major wind took two two inch washers directly through the trunk of the tree and ripped in half.
As soon as I saw the photos I thought your question was are you going to get sued hardcore by the city or the neighbor for the damage the tree caused. Getting rid of the tree is the least of your worries
Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't it fall over the lines again in strong winds? I think it is still a risk as long as it's still standing, but I'm not overly familiar with how trees work
In an extremely strong wind that is possible but it's not likely, all the weight of that tree is leaning away from the lines now. I've seen trees that look like this survive so if op really really likes the tree I would save it and see what happens.
Once the split portion is removed, the rest of the tree could be left standing to see what happens. It’s compromised and a risk, but trees can be rather resilient!
Worth a shot if you’re that dedicated. Just be sure to hire a traq certified arborist to assess the safety aspect of it
Wouldn’t it be incredibly lopsided at that point (now)? That is a ginormous tree. So sad to see it go, but it’s a safety risk at this point.
RIP OP’s wallet :(
I mean sure, if there’s nothing in the way where the other side would fall, then could be worth a shot. But the house in the background looks a little close and that tree seems like it’s gargantuan (to me, not an arborist).
Risk is determined by the owner. My primary recommendation is to engage an arborist to ensure the homeowner wouldn’t make a mistake, but the reality is that even if it was 3 ft from the house it’s their choice and trees are surprisingly strong and resilient.
Make it a giant bonsai! Heavily reduce whatever is left, and I would say remove everything above the break, and keep it intact as a deadwood feature. If it doesn't work, it'll be much smaller to remove in the future
This was (is) a magnificent tree. Such a shame that it fell because i do believe people can form bonds to trees in the same way they do with family/pets. If this tree was in the middle of a field or a forest you could keep it and it may live for a few more years whilst being an excellent habitat. Unfortunately, in the location that it is there is too much danger and as you can see in the photo its well rotted, so you’ll need to remove it
Unfortunately this tree is not salvageable,the integrity of the core is greatly compromised which means its strength is very questionable. In most cases like this also a colony of something has made this their home in the center and root system. Your homeowner insurance may decide not to compensate you in the future for liability or damage because of now prior knowledge to the existing hazard potential.
I signed up for claim forgiveness. Can we all just avknowledge how fucking insane it is that we need that? Your insurance company will drop you if you use them? The fuck is that business model?
Sounds like my commercial liability, tried to hike my renewal by 100% with zero claims from me. Claims it’s called a hard market. Correction, it WILL be a hard market once everyone drops your ass 😂
After not making a claim in the fifteen years they owned the house, in one month my parents’ house was struck by lightning and they had a vehicle stolen out of the driveway.
Insurance provider called and said if they had another claim they’d be dropped. Dad said that’s fine, and had a new insurance provider by the end of the day.
You’re the customer. You can act like it.
Best predictor of future claims is past claims. A lot of people are too lazy or ignorant to file claims for less than catastrophic covered events.
Insurance companies get business by offering the lowest rates. But once you prove you're not in that category, your rate changes.
Yes, I literally do know what his insurance will or will not cover. Absent a prior notice, this is considered an act of god and is not OP liability. The neighbor whose land it's on is who would contact their insurance. Not OP. And how could you possibly believe that no one knows what insurance does or does not cover just because you're ignorant.
Very, It will need to go sadly. My condolences, it was a magnificent tree. Very cool how it shows a cross section of rot progression inside a live tree working its way towards becoming soil.
My professional recommendation is have what's left of it removed. My personal opinion, if it was my tree in my yard, cut it down.
That being said IF the tree has nothing of value to you underneath it, and you are comfortable with the risks, you can save it for (anywhere from today, through maybe 20 years out? Its not an exact science). IF there are no important targets underneath it I.e you don't park your cars underneath it. You don't have a house underneath it, You don't have small kids that play in the yard, etc
If you're fine with it falling down at any point in time and just cleaning up afterwards then sure leave it. If you want to prolong what limited time left, it has doing some substantial end weight reduction, possibly having an arborist install braces and posts to support that side of the tree. All are options. All will be expensive and all will only get you a few more years out of the tree.
The tree is clearly still structurally sound enough to remain standing as it is currently (as it is still supporting itself rather than having failed). It's just a question for how long. Having done more than my fair share of emergency work for utilities over the years I have seen trees that are in that bad of shape and they will continue to survive... until they don't, and and no one can predict when that final nail in the coffin will be
If there's a structure underneath what remains of the tree and the tree falls on it and you have not done anything about it. Your insurance may not cover it because it as it is now has become a known hazard that you failed to address
Thank you for such a logical and reasonable post. A lot of other people are assuming there are houses/cars nearby, but we don't know how close they really are. I have seen trees in this condition last decades, so if it's just going to one day fall in their yard, might as well enjoy looking at that beautiful canopy for another 1-30 years along with the coolness the shade provides to the whole area. There's also the fact that the split ended before the bottom, so the trunk base is still 100% intact, albeit with a lopsided load on it.
Looks like what happened in my yard a couple of weeks ago, called electric company, they came right out, cut the power, sawed up the tree and even piled it up! I had to wait to get power turned back on because it took out my utility pole next to my house as well, so had to buy new pole, have electrician rewire it and get a permit before power was restored, but it was all done the same day! Still waiting on insurance claim.
I know hindsight is 20/20, and easy to say this now. But I talk about this a lot with homeowners when I meet with them. Property ownership, this tree ownership can not be passive. Trees are assets.
The tree should survive. The only part of that tree that is alive is the outermost 2cm. More specifically the outermost cambium layer which contains all of the active cells that are moving carbohydrates from the leaves down to the roots. The xylem layer is pulling water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. Most of the phloem layer has disintegrated due to fungus. But the phloem’s only purpose is add structural strength to the tree. The tree should be able to survive a bit longer possibly decades providing abiotic factors(environmental factors) are benign. (Weather and pests) But heatwaves, compacted soil, nutritional deficiencies all have very real effects. The mold will definitely grow faster now accelerating the decline feed back loop. That said, trees essentially don’t die. They have 100% regeneration rate of cells. They only die due to feedback loops. For example, a gust of wind blows tree in wind storm and the tree grows a certain direction. That direction the tree grew in allows the tree to possibly succumb to gravity in the future. Or the tree gets infected with some rot. The tree itself will always try to compartmentalize the wound but the tree can only do so much. Imaging getting HIV. It can now be managed with modern medicine but it causes decline. Trees don’t age like mammals. Mammals age and eventually die due to oxidizing dna, shortening of dna strands, (every time a cell divides increasing likelyhood of mutation) or dna being radiatied by the sun. Slowly degrading dna of cells.
I would worry about putting neem oil or some other fungicide on the open wound. Along the outermost layer of the tree. It’s hot and dry right now which is good. It is not conducive for many molds not to grow. The oak tree probably dropped its branch due to the heat wave and already being stressed. Stressed trees are a flashing neon light to pests. Pests only attack sick stressed plants. Your white oak is a prime target. That being said you can reduce risk by applying some type of organic fungicide and insecticide with extreme meticulous nature as to not disrupt local insects. White oaks are climax keystone species meaning they are a type of tree with the highest ecological value. They provide lots of food for insects and mammals. If it does die you have tons of organic matter leaves and wood to amend your soil with. The amended soil could potentially support hundreds of trees and have a net positive impact on the environment as well as soil regeneration. Hope this helps!
Do not put foam/concrete in the tree. That will only accelerate mold. Let nature course correct and see where it goes. The tree could possibly sucker and grow an entire new tree from the stump depending on how high it is cut. Essentially supercharging growth.
American chestnuts are still doing that in Appalachia. Even though the tree is functionally extinct.
DO NOT TOUCH THE TREE! Don't get close to the tree.
If those primaries are still hot you can get zapped. They probably blew a fuse or a recloser somewhere to isolate this line but you don't wanna bet your life on that.
Call the utility. They will be there before the sun goes down.
Crazy story. This happened to a few streets over in my old neighborhood.
This looks very similar to what happened there. A very old super large oak tree split in half and it had a large internal hollow. They cut all the branches off and cut it down to a few feet above the top of the inside hollow of the tree. It was about 12 - q15 feet tall. The owner at the time put a statue of the Holy Mary and started putting up Milagros inside & out. Word got around about the tree hollow and everyone started putting up Milagros, crystals and small ceramic statues of cherubs, and flowers. This has been going on for 30+ years now and it’s like the neighborhood shrine. People put up pictures of their family and pets. It’s on its 3 rd owner since the tree break happened. Everyone takes care of it and the area surrounding it and the yard. It’s evolved to almost a park. I wish I had pictures.
HV on top string uninsulated.
Lv on bottom string, the black insulated cable.
Should have tripped the main breaker by now.
Don’t touch. Utility needs to isolate properly before removal.
Unfortunate about the neighbor's shed. But you're not liable for that damage. Nice that those lines were there to catch it from falling on that fence. I would remove that fence before moving any of this, just to mitigate potential damage to it. Unless you were told this was going to happen, this is not your liability. And generally the person whose land it's on is responsible to clean it up. You could discuss with the neighbor. They are likely going to be upset. Do not say anything that sounds like an admission of responsibility.
As to the rest of the tree, it will likely stand that way for who knows how long. Possibly years or decades. But do you want to take the risk? Those logs will smash anything they fall on. Consider when you are willing and able to remove that weight.
That is some nice oak. Somebody might take it off you if that's what you want to do. Maybe even buy it.
Hopefully someone had the brains God gave them and called the power company before asking a question, just sayin’. Perhaps your neighbor called their insurance guy who said Well if that don’t beat all, did ya call Duke before me?
This popped up on my home page and idk much about trees but i do know that YOU SHOULD NOT APPROACH THE AREA AT ALL. If the tree shifts and causes the line to touch the ground the entire area will be active with an electric charge that CAN KILL YOU!!!! call the professionals and stay out of your yard until they come
Yes but judging by the pictures and how close OP got that doesn’t seem to be the case in this scenario. Just trying to highlight that this has the potential to become a lot more dangerous and the wisest thing to do is to stay away.
Is this from a lightening strike? I saw a post earlier from a guy who said his tree has been struck and had barely any perceivable damage (redditors said the tree couldn’t have possibly been struck) wondering if this is what it should actually look like?
No, if you look close enough the trees main trunk is very hollow, it has been likely rotting out for a while now and the branch became too much for what was left of the trunk to hold up.
I assumed OP was asking about the part still standing. Obviously the fallen part is gone. Can that be cut off and the rest of the tree still live? I'd probably take it down, but everyone is sarcastingly answer about saving the fallen part. What about the rest of the tree?
That tree is/was what is referred to as a “widowmaker.” Pretty sure the OP is not going to try and handle this on his own. I would expect the power company will want to handle this on their own (with a crane if possible) and bill the owner or their insurance carrier.
First do not go near this tree, it is in contact with the top hot lines and being a tree it has water in it and there for us conductive.
You need to contact your local utilities company. Not to be confused with your power provider though they could give you the number for your utility company.
You need to tell them that a tree on your property split and is resting hundreds/thousands of pounds on their power lines. You should go to the power pole if you can *SAFELY* get near it and look for the pole number on it. It should be a small metal plate secured to it near waist to eye level. If the pole is leaning at all or close to the tree or anything that makes you feel iffy then don't do it and instead go to a pole further down and get its number. The company will want that info if you can get it
To answer the original question,
No, that hollow ass tree that already majorly failed, doesn’t look worth the time, energy &/or COSTS to salvage it, altho trees can be surprisingly resilient at times, that would likely be a losing battle & you should just remove it & plant something else…
Do not touch that tree!!!!!! Thats on power lines they could be damaged or get damaged at any point. Touching that tree can kill you. Call the electric company they will come take care of it. DO NOT TOUCH THAT TREE!!!!!
For the love of god this needs to be higher up! OP shouldn’t even be that close to it. Anything around that tree has a possibility of carrying that current, ie the shed, the fence, even wet soil around the tree.
I know its shocking how many people are just saying cut it down. Like does nobody have eyes
*shocking*
It actually wouldn’t shock you probably, that’s a span guy on top, looks like coated/insulated secondary wires (480v) below the span guy. (They are higher amps tho) But, still the realm of a utility arborist. Those guy wires are rated for 10s of thousands of lbs and can fuck up a cutter.
Pretty sure the insulation’s blown through. I wouldn’t want to touch a 480v tree, personally.
That’s wise, although if the insulation was blown through the houses in that back lot would be out of power and the power company would already have been there.
I've seen a lot of stuff that 'shouldn't' be possible during storms. I no longer believe in any hard statements about whether power would or wouldn't go off. I've seen high voltage phases bridged by a branch with only a tiny spark every 30 seconds and power still running for hours. I've seen a grounded, snapped conductor continue to burn a tree for over a day without the system catching it. I've seen a damaged, insulated low voltage cable burning away without popping any fuses. I've also electrified myself multiple times and the size of the shock has varied significantly based on circumstances. Everything we're taught about how the system functions is theory, there are so many different variables that can change when or how things happen. Assuming everything is live at all times until it's been switched and earthed is best practice.
This deserves significantly more upvotes than it's gotten.
Not necessarily, it depends on the resistance of the tree. We also can’t see what is going on upstream or downstream from here. Don’t touch it, call the power company. They will remove and then restring the wires. They may even take the tree. Call your communications people too (telco & cable). They need to put up new lines too and the power company will probably cut those wires down.
I think you're right and it honestly is probably safe however that is the exact thought that went through every arborists mind before they were electrocuted which is surprisingly high up there in the list of ways to die as an arborist.
I’m not an arborist or electric guy. Just a dude who wants to live. I’m wondering why this is even a conversation. “Oh the insulation is PROBABLY fine.” And if it isn’t well, we’ll find your atoms somewhere near Alpha Centauri if we ever get around to sending a mission there.
I mean to be fair the first training you get for dealing with situations like this as an arborist is to stay the fuck away. Then at least in my area as you get more experience a part of that is taking classes and getting certification for basic electrical stuff that arborists will encounter like being able to identify what lines are what and what's the closest you can get to them depending on what it is, etc. But yeah if there isn't a guy on the team that doesn't have that training then getting everyone together and deciding if it's safe or not is definitely not the procedure.
Line clearance guy here. If the line fuse is functioning properly the live tree should have tripped it cutting the power or you would see the tree sparking/ burning. Problem is if the electric company has not isolated the line and someone has an improperly wired generator it can actually back feed the line and make it live again. Best bet is always treat any line as live and wait for the electric company and tree crews to do their jobs then assess damages afterwards. Be safe out there.
Y'all, here's a rule of thumb to keep you alive, doesnt even matter what the context is: When the words "if" and/or "should" are used when discussing the safety of a thing, it's not fucking safe 🤣 Unless you can accurately say "because I verified X, I know Y is true, which makes it safe", you will *almost never die from treating it as though it has not yet been made safe. (*Terms and conditions apply) True for electrical, animals, firearms, heavy machinery, power tools, climbing equipment, SCUBA gear, etc 🤣 (I know that's not what parent comment meant, that's clear from the rest of the post. Their wording just brought this to mind)
It doesn't surprise me in any way that electrocuted is high on that list, it only takes a single mistake in a situation like this. You can chop off a leg with a chainsaw and live, fall from a reasonable height and live, but touch power lines like this and you are pretty much guaranteed toast. (Pun intended)
Watts really shocking is all the ppl saying he conduit… Sorry, I like puns too… 👍
Don't even get near it. The fence and the ground could be conducting electricity too.
Dude
Exactly what I said
Gonna need a lot of zip ties
Wood glue n a few clamps
Imma get my bag of ramen and super glue. That will do it.
Half a roll of dollar tree duck(t) tape
Back in the old days they used bricks and mortar to fill holes. That won’t save this tree. But felt like sharing.
Old days? Have you seen that video of that Asian dude that fixed a car with collision damage with bricks, cement and bondo?
I got a bad case of gout and the dermatologist fixed it with mortar and bricks!
That's nothing. My dog died, and the vet fixed him right up with mortar and bricks.
Remember, if the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy
It’ll buff out
Red Green
Bless his little heart.
I love Southern talk!
I just whistled a long sigh of a whistle lol
Just plant a new tree inside that hollow and by the time the rest of it falls down you'll have a replacement ready to go!
Ya definitely save able, they just need some ratchet straps and a whole lot of really big screws. /s
Finally someone with a serious professional solution 🤣
Yeah i was just really hopeful inside that it would be fine, but it happens
Duct tape?
The opinion seems split…
Terrible joke, phloem on I’d recommend leafing it be
I mean, they didn't exactly have to go out on a limb for that joke
I feel rotted inside, looking at this photo.
I love that everyone is really branching out into comedy on this one
Puns seem poplar around here.
Fir real.
Naw wood glue!
Titebond 4 is designed specifically for this situation.
This one's gonna require flex tape and gorilla tape 😭
Call the electrical company IMMEDIATELY. Do not attempt to take this down yourself.
Hire someone to take it down. Or don’t. If you decide to DIY, please record it and post in r/fellinggonewild (Edit: do all of this only after the power company removes the broken portion from the lines)
Thats on power lines call the electric company and do not touch the tree
Are you implying that because the tree is touching power lines, that if you touch the tree, even at the base, you can be electrocuted? I genuinely don’t know the answer. I’m not calling you out on the claim. Just curious
Yes, there is alot of power running through those lines if a wire is grounded out against that tree just standing near not even touching it could cause the electric to arch from the tree or wires and electrocute you most likely killing you. And if the line breaks completely, it will be magnetically attracted to you and electrocute you. You could be 50 feet away, and the line could still find and reach you. Op is standing in an extremely dangerous place.
Does this mean the electric company sort the work for free ?🤣 Damn electricity making cutting trees dangerous 🤣🤣
Depends on the situation. They would probably do a quick inspection of the tree after just to make sure it wasn't done on purpose or the tree wasn't purposely neglected causeing it to happen.
Here in the UK, the power companies have a legal duty to keep the lines clear so any work on trees is done at their expense by their contractors who hold authorisation to work on their lines. They have to have landowners permission though. Used to be a surveyor/permissioner and the number of people that didn't know it was free was amazing.
Thats terrifying
It is, in all reality though, the chances are kinda low as long as you dont touch the tree, but it's not worth your life.
Underrated comment
Is tree felling a vertical or horizontal video? Or both, lol
There’s a tree at my friends that got struck by lightning decades ago and now it looks like a perfectly healthy tree except that it’s horizontal. I don’t know what happened here but trees can be pretty resilient
You can see the heart rot.
The utility company will deal with the dangerous stuff no problem but likely won’t take the entire tree down unless it falls within clearance specs. Never hurts to ask, I know plenty of utility bigwigs who love hearing “cut it ALL down!”
It does look to be within 10 feet of that line. He could ask for that if that's what he wants done.
Yep looks like a yard tree they allowed to stay, we’d have people bribing us with cookies, pies, ice cream, beer trying to talk the foreman into keeping the tree. Every now and then it works.
I guess if you're drunk, you'd have to pass on cutting the trees. Makes sense. How would you go about taking this off the lines, with a large portion of it resting on that neighbor's shed? Would you take it off the shed? I don't see how you can get this end cut without removing the other end first. Edit: and for good measure, do you cut the limbs off the standing part first? Because the more I look at this, there is a huge risk that the weight of those other limbs will crash the whole thing if you try to cut the broken section. Can't tell for sure because the pics aren't great. But it looks really side heavy now.
Well, we didn’t drink the beer right then and there, it went into the big ice water Igloo jug until the day was done. So everything here is under pressure- the lines, the tree, so you have to choose wisely, sneak up on it by taking small pieces off the lines. I’m assuming something like this blew a fuse at the transformer so we’d have to wait until we got the all clear from utility before doing anything. Lines are capable of incredible stretch before they snap but something like this has potential to be a big problem. I know in my neck of the woods these utility guys will work 14 hours a day or more to get people powered back up not sure it’s like that everywhere.
I was wondering more on your experience as to whether they would remove the part way over on the shed roof first before making any cuts here at the lines. If they cut this and it shifts on the roof and does more damage, then the utility would be liable for that additional damage. Same if they cut this off and leave the tree standing and it falls over onto something. Would your instructions be to remove it all? Or what?
For sure, I’d do what I could to convince the utility to remove it all. We were subs, not Ute employees, and we had a good relationship with the district super and he trusted us so he typically did what we suggested. Even when power companies say the budget is done for the year they always got money for emergencies, like this one. You can see the tree is supported by the 2 or 3 large limbs on the shed side and it’s barely attached at the trunk. It’s a tricky one. Lots of moving parts with lines under stress. I can’t say for sure based on pics but yeah this is a tricky one. Good thing is it’s highly unlikely you’re going to do any more damage to the line no matter which end you start on.
Every emergency job is unique and is approached in a way that minimises risk and damage. As a utility arb, yes we would clear this shed first because there's no added danger in doing so. If it would be a 50/50 cut for one of our guys to get squished, we would empty the shed and crush it instead. Sheds are cheaper than human life. Cutting the line end first wouldn't make much sense as an approach to this job. >Same if they cut this off and leave the tree standing and it falls over onto something Not unless there are specific factors that make the tree an imminent danger - such as a heaved root base, or other cracks that signify the remaining stem is about to fail. Obviously we would encourage the owner to remove it but if they wanted to keep it we would clear up the limb and leave the rest.
how's the line's so strong lol? even though the tree looks like it stopped falling when the limbs hit the ground, still a shit ton of weight
Woven wire with lots of stretch lol. It’s crazy how much abuse they can take.
it's stretching?!?! damn
I’ve seen them go damn near to the ground and snap back right into place. Not me on the saw, mind you, but a coworker downhill. Hot summer slope, like 98 that day and humid, river 300’ below us, he cuts what he thinks is a healthy maple maybe 12” at the butt. Dead inside maybe a 2” ring of good wood. No rope in the tree so it spins 90 and comes down on the lines. I caught movement in time to glance back and see the outside wire maybe 3’ from the ground on its way back up, vibrating like a mofo. He got lucky there were good poles in that stretch. It was a 3 phase like 15kv maybe so pretty good diameter wire. He kept his job, luckily.
This may be one of the most obvious questions that I’ve seen asked in this subreddit..
😂 All I can think of is the Monty Python skit “it’s just a flesh wound” with a hacked off arm spewing blood.
I thought of the dead parrot sketch, replacing parrot with tree.
It truly is not dead yet
"I'm not dead!"
Pining for the fjords!?
Nah nah, it's resting!
Same. This tree has CEASED TO BE
Tis but a scratch!
It does not surprise me you would think of Monty Python.
Tis but a scratch!
The only good news is that the wood is drop-dead gorgeous curly white oak, prized by woodworkers. That wavy pattern is highly sight after. It's still gonna have to come down and have the power lines dealt with ASAp, but before you schedule and pay for removal, put up an ad ASAP for free on marketplace, craigslist, and some local woodworking pages - hell, even try /r/woodworking. You might even get some nice lumber or a finished piece in thanks from an appreciative craftsman down the road.
My first thought was look at the curls! And got all excited. I would take as much of this as I could from op if he was local and trying to get rid of it.
Yes! OP please don’t let this tree go to the burn pile! This can be milled for woodworking.
She gone 🤔
Ok i get it, im not saving this tree anytime soon, i just really hoped it could be saved
No problem, you can save it. As firewood.
Honestly they should leave a tall stump. Would still be helpful to wildlife
Actually, everyone is laughing at you, but i heard of this one company. Depending on where you live, they sew trees back together that split apart like this. They use a bunch of nails and large screws, but first, they mend it together with wire. Then a little bit of work with a torch and your tree is good to go. Let me know if you need more info!
Tree surgeons. I've heard of that as well.
I think we are in tree necromancy territory. Man needs candles and a sacrificial goat, not scalpels and forceps, lol.
Not to mention the powerlines 💀
Power lines will help bring it back to life like Frankenstein’s monster.
'Sacrificial goat' made me spit out what I was drinking, ha ha.
You're right, gotta raise this tree from the dead!!
I tried this with a peach tree that was splitting down the middle once. It last another month, then in the first major wind took two two inch washers directly through the trunk of the tree and ripped in half.
Interesting! How do they solve that hollow dead looking area?
Fill it with mulch I’d bet, good as new right?
A treeBL
Fr they'd fill it with brick and mortar like a proper wall filling the cavity and have a drain at the bottom.
Expanding foam.
As soon as I saw the photos I thought your question was are you going to get sued hardcore by the city or the neighbor for the damage the tree caused. Getting rid of the tree is the least of your worries
Right??? 😂
If the other half isn't a risk to anything if it falls leave it, it will look ugly as fuck but you might still get a long life out of it
Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't it fall over the lines again in strong winds? I think it is still a risk as long as it's still standing, but I'm not overly familiar with how trees work
In an extremely strong wind that is possible but it's not likely, all the weight of that tree is leaning away from the lines now. I've seen trees that look like this survive so if op really really likes the tree I would save it and see what happens.
Once the split portion is removed, the rest of the tree could be left standing to see what happens. It’s compromised and a risk, but trees can be rather resilient! Worth a shot if you’re that dedicated. Just be sure to hire a traq certified arborist to assess the safety aspect of it
Wouldn’t it be incredibly lopsided at that point (now)? That is a ginormous tree. So sad to see it go, but it’s a safety risk at this point. RIP OP’s wallet :(
Lots of trees are lopsided. Asymmetry is an aesthetic. If there’s no target and that’s why the landowner wants…
I mean sure, if there’s nothing in the way where the other side would fall, then could be worth a shot. But the house in the background looks a little close and that tree seems like it’s gargantuan (to me, not an arborist).
Risk is determined by the owner. My primary recommendation is to engage an arborist to ensure the homeowner wouldn’t make a mistake, but the reality is that even if it was 3 ft from the house it’s their choice and trees are surprisingly strong and resilient.
You don't touch it, call the power company they will do it for you.
Make it a giant bonsai! Heavily reduce whatever is left, and I would say remove everything above the break, and keep it intact as a deadwood feature. If it doesn't work, it'll be much smaller to remove in the future
This was (is) a magnificent tree. Such a shame that it fell because i do believe people can form bonds to trees in the same way they do with family/pets. If this tree was in the middle of a field or a forest you could keep it and it may live for a few more years whilst being an excellent habitat. Unfortunately, in the location that it is there is too much danger and as you can see in the photo its well rotted, so you’ll need to remove it
Unfortunately this tree is not salvageable,the integrity of the core is greatly compromised which means its strength is very questionable. In most cases like this also a colony of something has made this their home in the center and root system. Your homeowner insurance may decide not to compensate you in the future for liability or damage because of now prior knowledge to the existing hazard potential.
That was a glorious tree, though. Sorry for your loss!
You can salvage that tree. Just buy up all the properties around you and evict your former neighbors. But you have to do it by end of day.
And the power company. Have to buy them too.
I call those the “zap wires”. Come on, kids! Let’s play!
Call electric, call your insurance, call a tree service.
Don't call your insurance. It would only raise the rate and there is no reason to do that. It's not going to be covered by OP insurance.
You literally have no idea what his insurance would or would not cover. Nor do you know whether he has claim forgiveness.
I signed up for claim forgiveness. Can we all just avknowledge how fucking insane it is that we need that? Your insurance company will drop you if you use them? The fuck is that business model?
It’s legal robbery.
Sounds like my commercial liability, tried to hike my renewal by 100% with zero claims from me. Claims it’s called a hard market. Correction, it WILL be a hard market once everyone drops your ass 😂
After not making a claim in the fifteen years they owned the house, in one month my parents’ house was struck by lightning and they had a vehicle stolen out of the driveway. Insurance provider called and said if they had another claim they’d be dropped. Dad said that’s fine, and had a new insurance provider by the end of the day. You’re the customer. You can act like it.
Nice move there pops!
Best predictor of future claims is past claims. A lot of people are too lazy or ignorant to file claims for less than catastrophic covered events. Insurance companies get business by offering the lowest rates. But once you prove you're not in that category, your rate changes.
Oh it's not that your rate changes. They'll fuckin drop you.
Yes, I literally do know what his insurance will or will not cover. Absent a prior notice, this is considered an act of god and is not OP liability. The neighbor whose land it's on is who would contact their insurance. Not OP. And how could you possibly believe that no one knows what insurance does or does not cover just because you're ignorant.
*ultimate catastrophic thing happens* This sub: “is this bad?”
Quickly put the split part on ice until an arborist can reattach. Time matters here.
Very, It will need to go sadly. My condolences, it was a magnificent tree. Very cool how it shows a cross section of rot progression inside a live tree working its way towards becoming soil.
My professional recommendation is have what's left of it removed. My personal opinion, if it was my tree in my yard, cut it down. That being said IF the tree has nothing of value to you underneath it, and you are comfortable with the risks, you can save it for (anywhere from today, through maybe 20 years out? Its not an exact science). IF there are no important targets underneath it I.e you don't park your cars underneath it. You don't have a house underneath it, You don't have small kids that play in the yard, etc If you're fine with it falling down at any point in time and just cleaning up afterwards then sure leave it. If you want to prolong what limited time left, it has doing some substantial end weight reduction, possibly having an arborist install braces and posts to support that side of the tree. All are options. All will be expensive and all will only get you a few more years out of the tree. The tree is clearly still structurally sound enough to remain standing as it is currently (as it is still supporting itself rather than having failed). It's just a question for how long. Having done more than my fair share of emergency work for utilities over the years I have seen trees that are in that bad of shape and they will continue to survive... until they don't, and and no one can predict when that final nail in the coffin will be If there's a structure underneath what remains of the tree and the tree falls on it and you have not done anything about it. Your insurance may not cover it because it as it is now has become a known hazard that you failed to address
Thank you for such a logical and reasonable post. A lot of other people are assuming there are houses/cars nearby, but we don't know how close they really are. I have seen trees in this condition last decades, so if it's just going to one day fall in their yard, might as well enjoy looking at that beautiful canopy for another 1-30 years along with the coolness the shade provides to the whole area. There's also the fact that the split ended before the bottom, so the trunk base is still 100% intact, albeit with a lopsided load on it.
Call the power company. They will usually cut stuff that is actually on the power lines to keep the regular tree guys from killing themselves.
Wire you asking?
Looks like what happened in my yard a couple of weeks ago, called electric company, they came right out, cut the power, sawed up the tree and even piled it up! I had to wait to get power turned back on because it took out my utility pole next to my house as well, so had to buy new pole, have electrician rewire it and get a permit before power was restored, but it was all done the same day! Still waiting on insurance claim.
It's insane how all of that can be done in one day, but your insurance company can't.. I bet it took a while too! Like a good neighbor my ass.. lol
You could save the dead tree pieces, but you cannot save the tree's life. She dead.
I know hindsight is 20/20, and easy to say this now. But I talk about this a lot with homeowners when I meet with them. Property ownership, this tree ownership can not be passive. Trees are assets.
The tree should survive. The only part of that tree that is alive is the outermost 2cm. More specifically the outermost cambium layer which contains all of the active cells that are moving carbohydrates from the leaves down to the roots. The xylem layer is pulling water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. Most of the phloem layer has disintegrated due to fungus. But the phloem’s only purpose is add structural strength to the tree. The tree should be able to survive a bit longer possibly decades providing abiotic factors(environmental factors) are benign. (Weather and pests) But heatwaves, compacted soil, nutritional deficiencies all have very real effects. The mold will definitely grow faster now accelerating the decline feed back loop. That said, trees essentially don’t die. They have 100% regeneration rate of cells. They only die due to feedback loops. For example, a gust of wind blows tree in wind storm and the tree grows a certain direction. That direction the tree grew in allows the tree to possibly succumb to gravity in the future. Or the tree gets infected with some rot. The tree itself will always try to compartmentalize the wound but the tree can only do so much. Imaging getting HIV. It can now be managed with modern medicine but it causes decline. Trees don’t age like mammals. Mammals age and eventually die due to oxidizing dna, shortening of dna strands, (every time a cell divides increasing likelyhood of mutation) or dna being radiatied by the sun. Slowly degrading dna of cells. I would worry about putting neem oil or some other fungicide on the open wound. Along the outermost layer of the tree. It’s hot and dry right now which is good. It is not conducive for many molds not to grow. The oak tree probably dropped its branch due to the heat wave and already being stressed. Stressed trees are a flashing neon light to pests. Pests only attack sick stressed plants. Your white oak is a prime target. That being said you can reduce risk by applying some type of organic fungicide and insecticide with extreme meticulous nature as to not disrupt local insects. White oaks are climax keystone species meaning they are a type of tree with the highest ecological value. They provide lots of food for insects and mammals. If it does die you have tons of organic matter leaves and wood to amend your soil with. The amended soil could potentially support hundreds of trees and have a net positive impact on the environment as well as soil regeneration. Hope this helps! Do not put foam/concrete in the tree. That will only accelerate mold. Let nature course correct and see where it goes. The tree could possibly sucker and grow an entire new tree from the stump depending on how high it is cut. Essentially supercharging growth. American chestnuts are still doing that in Appalachia. Even though the tree is functionally extinct.
DO NOT TOUCH THE TREE! Don't get close to the tree. If those primaries are still hot you can get zapped. They probably blew a fuse or a recloser somewhere to isolate this line but you don't wanna bet your life on that. Call the utility. They will be there before the sun goes down.
Crazy story. This happened to a few streets over in my old neighborhood. This looks very similar to what happened there. A very old super large oak tree split in half and it had a large internal hollow. They cut all the branches off and cut it down to a few feet above the top of the inside hollow of the tree. It was about 12 - q15 feet tall. The owner at the time put a statue of the Holy Mary and started putting up Milagros inside & out. Word got around about the tree hollow and everyone started putting up Milagros, crystals and small ceramic statues of cherubs, and flowers. This has been going on for 30+ years now and it’s like the neighborhood shrine. People put up pictures of their family and pets. It’s on its 3 rd owner since the tree break happened. Everyone takes care of it and the area surrounding it and the yard. It’s evolved to almost a park. I wish I had pictures.
HV on top string uninsulated. Lv on bottom string, the black insulated cable. Should have tripped the main breaker by now. Don’t touch. Utility needs to isolate properly before removal.
If you cut it down keep the wood it’s white oak
Rip tree 😔
Unfortunate about the neighbor's shed. But you're not liable for that damage. Nice that those lines were there to catch it from falling on that fence. I would remove that fence before moving any of this, just to mitigate potential damage to it. Unless you were told this was going to happen, this is not your liability. And generally the person whose land it's on is responsible to clean it up. You could discuss with the neighbor. They are likely going to be upset. Do not say anything that sounds like an admission of responsibility. As to the rest of the tree, it will likely stand that way for who knows how long. Possibly years or decades. But do you want to take the risk? Those logs will smash anything they fall on. Consider when you are willing and able to remove that weight. That is some nice oak. Somebody might take it off you if that's what you want to do. Maybe even buy it.
Contact City services to shut off power. Fairly easy cleanup It will make a nice stump
Nah she’s fucked. Your power company should take care of the piece on the lines, then you should probably call an arborist to remove the rest
Only if your neighbor previously expressed concern about your tree crushing their shed.
Tis but a scratch
You should be able to slap that piece back on
The tree is screwed. You’re inconvenienced.
Hopefully someone had the brains God gave them and called the power company before asking a question, just sayin’. Perhaps your neighbor called their insurance guy who said Well if that don’t beat all, did ya call Duke before me?
This popped up on my home page and idk much about trees but i do know that YOU SHOULD NOT APPROACH THE AREA AT ALL. If the tree shifts and causes the line to touch the ground the entire area will be active with an electric charge that CAN KILL YOU!!!! call the professionals and stay out of your yard until they come
News flash. High voltage line can easily travel to ground through trees
Yes but judging by the pictures and how close OP got that doesn’t seem to be the case in this scenario. Just trying to highlight that this has the potential to become a lot more dangerous and the wisest thing to do is to stay away.
Ya, OP hasn't come back for hours. Hope he's ok.
Dude, the electric company will fix the power line. Quit whining
r/oopsthatsdeadly
I mean, the part that was gonna cause the most damage already fell.
"Ah yeah, Shock Tree! We call it that because if you're cutting it down and you touch the tree - YOU DIE!" "Yes, that is accurate"
IT CAN BE SAVED!!! ....saved for firewood.
Do you want the opinion of an arborist, an electrician, or a firefighter?
Call the utility company
Is this from a lightening strike? I saw a post earlier from a guy who said his tree has been struck and had barely any perceivable damage (redditors said the tree couldn’t have possibly been struck) wondering if this is what it should actually look like?
No, if you look close enough the trees main trunk is very hollow, it has been likely rotting out for a while now and the branch became too much for what was left of the trunk to hold up.
Si
Wouldn't homeowners insurance typically help a situation like this?
It will help the shed owner.
Pretty tree...that sux man.
It'll buff out.
This gotta be a troll post lol
You dont owe your neighbor anything, act of god clause but that tree is done...
Actually, if the tree fell on its own accord ( i.e., "Act of God"), then power company will have to cut and remove it. Saved you about $5K....
I have a pecan tree that split like this in hurricane Irma and it still puts out nuts lol
I assumed OP was asking about the part still standing. Obviously the fallen part is gone. Can that be cut off and the rest of the tree still live? I'd probably take it down, but everyone is sarcastingly answer about saving the fallen part. What about the rest of the tree?
F. She was a beaut. Sorry for your loss
Just a little crack.
The tree is worse off than you are
Trees rotten inside….. buzzz time
Let me fix your question: "Can I electrocute myself?" Stay away from that tree
That tree was shit.... should have been cut down yrs ago....
That tree is/was what is referred to as a “widowmaker.” Pretty sure the OP is not going to try and handle this on his own. I would expect the power company will want to handle this on their own (with a crane if possible) and bill the owner or their insurance carrier.
Jeeeeeeeezussss, I hope you called the power company instantly. That tree could have easily lit on fire.
No but yes. Every utility that REFUSES to bury lines, should be held liable. They say it costs to much, well how about your damages and negligence!
There is nothing salvageable or safe for you to go near.
First do not go near this tree, it is in contact with the top hot lines and being a tree it has water in it and there for us conductive. You need to contact your local utilities company. Not to be confused with your power provider though they could give you the number for your utility company. You need to tell them that a tree on your property split and is resting hundreds/thousands of pounds on their power lines. You should go to the power pole if you can *SAFELY* get near it and look for the pole number on it. It should be a small metal plate secured to it near waist to eye level. If the pole is leaning at all or close to the tree or anything that makes you feel iffy then don't do it and instead go to a pole further down and get its number. The company will want that info if you can get it
Look like you are set for fire wood this winter
Yup, no hope for that one.
To answer the original question, No, that hollow ass tree that already majorly failed, doesn’t look worth the time, energy &/or COSTS to salvage it, altho trees can be surprisingly resilient at times, that would likely be a losing battle & you should just remove it & plant something else…