Been doing a lot of line clearance lately so no fun trees to post.
Reduced this hornbeam last weekend.
It was growing at 90°.
The customer didn't want to cut it at all but it was red rotten at the butt and the very end branches were practically up against the house.
Apparently people used to take all wedding photographs and such in front of this tree.
I reduced it back to the point that it won't reach the house if it fails.
Back to the line clearance.
We had a very close call involving bare low voltage lines, a polesaw and an idiot.
I posted about this particular man in one of the off topic threads.
He's got some mental condition, not sure which one.
He's an okay sort of lad but he's red raw useless, and a major liability.
Its not really fair on us having him around because of how much he fcuks things up.
Its also not fair on him being around us with how often he gets a shouting at.
Obviously its not really right to be roaring and cursing at someone who's obviously away with the fairies but he does genuinely reduce our life expectancy even more than its already been reduced by doing this kind of work to begin with.
This particular incident was the perfect example.
We were cutting under and around bare LV lines as already stated.
2 meters is the required clearance.
There was an ash tree that I pole sawed off the lower regrowth limbs and left the higher regrowth for the fibreglass rods.
The tree was well within striking distance of the lines so I didn't chance taking off big bits.
Bare in mind I dont shy away from doing questionable things around power lines.
However, this tree was obviously NOT for felling.
Anyways, I continued cutting away at the next tree along from it expecting sine of the lads would rod the higher branches that id left.
A mi use later I heard sawing coming from right behind me.
I turned around and lo and behold there was the clown himself using the polesaw at head height to fell the entire tree I was after walking away from.
I roared and ran like fcuk.
He was already nearly done his back cut by the time id noticed what was at.
The tree barely moved 2 feet before it collided with the lines.
It pushed against one line and miraculously slid off it just before it clashed with the second line.
Both lines started jumping around like mad.
The poles at either end of the span were moving violently as well.
The lines in the next few spans were moving too.
He hadn't even moved away from the tree as it fell.
In fact, he was trapped by a lower branch that had fallen against him, pinning him in place.
He didn't even seem to care when the three of us started roaring at him.
He nearly got us killed, knocked a housing estate out of power and if anyone seen it he could have gotten the whole company stood down.
Idk how he's still employed. And this us not his first or most severe fcuk up. I think the company are getting some grant to employ him.
Heres the tree, look how far the tops protruding beyond the lines.
