Other Reasons Fires Can Start

[pepsilover]

I am SO tired of reading about the 'blame game' on this board. We get it. Some people start fires with cigarettes (and many more do NOT); some light campfires when they should not (tourist alert!!!); some ride those noisy quads through the bush (teen alert!!) - on and on and ON. Probably lightning strikes are one of the biggest reasons, but all that aside, here's a story about a truly irresponsible neighbour who is getting tuned in.
I love (not) the people who decide that NOW is the time to get their tall trees removed from their yard, with all the power and chain saws they need - RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRY TINDER of course - bad enough. Think ahead. Get your trees chopped down in the late fall idiots.
So I notice these 'tree fallers' on MY property up the hill behind me; they say to me 'So and so is going to 'clean it up' - I did not understand what they meant because I couldn't 'see' what they could see up there. I found out in short order. I go up one level to the guy's house who is having this massive tree taken down and (drum roll please) he is having all the braches 'ziplined' over to my property, probably about a 20 - 30 foot high pile of dry branches from his big tree. I am like 'Why isn't this on YOUR property? Why aren't you having it removed and chipped by these guys'? - not to mention the 'ARE YOU KIDDIN ME' that was screaming inside my head.
Oh, he'll get it 'cleaned up' within a week. 'Cause guess what he's gonna do? He's gonna go ONTO MY property (where the 30 foot high pile of dry tinder branches and logs are) and use his OWN chain saw to make logs and cut the branches into wee pieces. Oh right. Oh no you're not.
If you are as unfortunate as I am to have an idiotic neighbour such as this, phone the Fire Prevention and the Bylaw Officer, they both seemed VERY interested in what this guy was doing.
All this to say, there are all kinds of idiots in the world that can cause fires - this guy was obviously a heavy drinker, not in his right mind, red face, etc. - but we can't blame all drinkers 'cause this one is stupid.
I'll let you know the outcome. Both Fire Prevention and Bylaw officer have been up to take photos of this huge brush pile this 'person' 'ziplined' to my property. People never cease to amaze me, and not in a good way.

[vinnied]

This is a very weird. Is there more to this story?

[pepsilover]

No, that's exactly what happened. I did follow up with the Bylaw officer and he has been up there and taken photos of 30 ft. high brush/branches. The owner of the tree that was felled says he will 'clean it up within the week' - I don't want him cleaning it up on my property because he wants to use a chain saw to do it. I think the only piece of this puzzle that might be missing is that he was too cheap to get the debris carried away and/or chipped like most people do.
Using power tools - like chain saws - in these tinder dry conditions, can cause a fire. If it happens on my property I would/could be liable. I was here in 2008, it's very hard not to see that kind of thing happening again.

This neighbour let it slip to me that he 'thought nobody was living there' meaning my place below him. In other words he thought he could get away with dumping this crap on somebody else's property besides his own.

[TreeGuy]

WOW! As a professional in the tree service industry I can't believe these workers would do this without your permission. If we hope to use a neighbours property for access then I go and talk to the neighbour and/or require a written letter of permission.

As for the chainsaw use, chainsaws are required to have spark arresters and come from the factory with them installed. Some guys do take them out for more power. Professionals know how to handle and fuel saws properly. As for a drunkard neighbour there is no way I would let him on my property using a saw. Never mind fire, what if he cuts his leg off as he is running the saw in flip flops, shorts and a tank top. Or watch him smoking a cigarette while fuel his saw.

I don't blame you for being upset. Bad neighbour! And not a very professional tree crew.

[sobrohusfat]

Sounds infuriating.


Other reasons fires can start

Rain water pooled on greenhouse roof (magnifying sunlight - ignited dry duff)
near Barrie - Ontario (1963)

Logging operation where fallers cut down a hemlock tree in a canyon.
The tree shot down the canyon and slid across a cedar log.
The friction ignited the surrounding brush.
A 4200 acre wildfire was the result.
Wahkiakum County - Washington (1948)

Half burried Civil War cannon ball found at the base (ignition site) of a large wildfire
It's believed to have somehow sparked the conflagration as no other ignition source (natural or human)
was present at the time in the remote area
somewhere in the States - (early 1900's)

For 4 consecutive days a State Forestry fire crew dashed 30miles to the same brushy hillside to put out fires.
At the end of the 4th day the weary young fire fighters questioned a 14 year old girl who always appeared at the scene.
She readily admitted setting the blazes - "I just like having the boys around"
Port Orchard - Washington (1949)



PS - chainsaws are running pretty much all day everyday on the "tinder dry" fireline.

...just sayin'

[Always Sunny]

Two of the biggest "uncommon" causes outside of the obvious lightning/human caused fires when I was in the biz were:

1.) Railway
2.) Spontaneous combustion - specifically in chip piles, due to the heat generated by rotting materials.

[Rwede]

30 foot high pile of branches? That's higher than some trees.

I've said it a million times, quit exaggerating!

[pepsilover]

Hey Guru, new here so guessing your comment is dry sense of humor when you say I was exaggerating about the 30 foot high pile of branches (while you've said this a MILLION times) - heehee:)
Anyways, no it is very high. The tree also very high so the branches are huge. If you think of a 150 foot tree Ponderosa Pine) and all the branches on that tree, pile them up and well, you do the math.
Regardless, the neighbour is piling dangerous debris on another person's property, and it's against the law especially at this time of year and with the extreme fire hazard so high.

[pepsilover]

Not sure how to respond to a specific post but seriously want to thank 'Tree Guy' for his input. I wondered if I was over-reacting but my thoughts are right along what you are saying, right down to the cutting off leg scenario. When I went to confront the guy he passed the blame onto the guys who were doing the work saying they were supposed to come check with you/whoever owned that house. I said "NObody came to check with me, and if they would have I would have said NO!!" The guy has to be crazy to think it's ok to dump this on somebody else's property.
I'm also not very happy that he has a week to clean it up. Fire risk is at all time-high, a week is a long time right now. It should have been done today or first thing Monday morning. What's the holdup is that he doesn't want to put the money out to pay somebody, and I haven't gotten it clear quite yet if the bylaw officer is going to let him "remove the debris" by chain sawing it on my property. If that's the case, we have a problem.

Appreciate also your input on the tree falling industry as I didn't know some of those things. My personal take on the fellows doing this job was that they weren't professionals but somebody maybe working for cash or something like that. I would think that's against the law in a suburban neighbourhood. They didn't have a car with a sign identifying which outfit they worked for, and there was no chipper. Anyways, yep takes all kinds to make the world go round my mother says. She's right.

[rookie314]

How about a buzzard getting electrocuted on a high tension power line, bursting into flames and fell into dry grass. Saw it in Northern Cali, by Red Bluff.

[vegas1500]

You got something against tourists, teens, and people that may cut down trees in the summer months.....oh and anyone with a red face is a drunk..... Sounds like you have some hate, anger or jealousy issues. You probably have a legit issue but don't minimize it by going on a rant...

[pepsilover]

*removed*

[TreeGuy]

Did the mess get cleaned up?

[Bpeep]

If these people were on your property without your consent, you do know they were trespassing, dont ya?