Here are a couple of photos from the Mother Lode fire on the Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon. Both are from the fire’s InciWeb site, but the photographers and dates are unknown.
Hmmm. Really? A Class A faller who should be limited to trees smaller than 12 8 inches in diameter? And if there’s a face cut (or undercut), which tends to reduce the chance of a barber chair and control the direction of fall, it was very small. “Barber chair” is when the tree splits vertically as seen in this photo. It can be very dangerous because the portion of the tree’s trunk that springs back can injure or kill the faller if they are standing near the tree when it occurs.
From InciWeb, September 18, 2011:
Estacada, Oregon – Kidd’s Incident Management Team, Great Basin 4, is currently managing the Mother Lode Fire on the Mount Hood National Forest. The fire, which began as a lightening strike on August 26, 2011, is estimated at 2,132 acres and continues to very slowly grow near the confluence of Mother Lode and Battle Creeks. This pattern has remained virtually the same over the last several days as weather over the fire returns to a more seasonal model.
Well contract or otherwise this kind of thing happens on fires and it should NOT! Have seen FS crews cut for fun and I have been asked to tip trees cause someone wanted to see a tree fell and no other reason. If a tree is no threat to firefighters, public, the line, then leave it be. No sense in getting your self killed for FUN. Oh and I agree the camera “person” may have been a bit close.
Looks to me like this is a contractor, ( He still should have on all his PPE)….
Glad someone else caught the fact that there was no eye protection and that the size of the tree does not match what an A faller is allowed to be cutting. And yes, there is a Safety Officer that is not doing his/her job…
But did anyone also notice that the photographer is probably not far enough away from the tree as per the policy? I believe it is at least two lengths away that an observer is supposed to be.
This is all especially disappointing because this should be caught and screened by the information officer/team. And normally, when I’m in that role, I make sure that all photos adhere to basic protocol (and this is very basic protocol here folks). This is how we make a bad name for ourselves. This stuff shouldn’t get past the people that are responsible for ensuring good information is reported. And of course… It shouldn’t happen in the first place. Several people not doing things as they should be done.
Who allowed this? And what was the reason for the tip? Sport Cutting? 12″ For Class A? Though it was Fall, Limb, Buck up to 8″. No eye protection required? Most SO’s I know would have someones a** for this kind of behavior.