|
|||||||||||||
Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
Recent fire highlights common danger for homeowners
The March 21 brush fire that burned within 20 feet of a house near Gid Brown Hollow was caused by a power line -- a common danger that in recent weeks has topped all other sources of brush fires in a forestry jurisdiction comprising Rappahannock, Madison and Greene counties, a forestry official said this past Monday.
Forest Warden Ken Cooper, who helped investigate the 21-acre fire with the Virginia Department of Forestry, said that the fire likely began when wind blew tree branches against the power line and caused it to spark. He said that the line, which ran to a nearby house, did not snap.
"There's a couple of spots where trees (had) grown into the lines," he said.
Cooper said that the fire most likely started the night before it was discovered, but did not break out until wet leaves and brush dried from rain a few days earlier.
He said that the secluded area where the fire began probably prevented it from being noticed sooner.
Cooper said that smaller power lines providing electricity to homes are a common cause of fire.
"It's not going to be caused by these big-scale power lines," he said. "It's more just the small lines that are going into houses."
Trees and branches can grow into lines or fall on them, Cooper said. He said that ice and heavy winds, like those that hit Rappahannock this past winter, make fires all the more likely.
"The winds have been particularly bad this year," he said. "That's going to be the biggest factor."
And in a rural county like Rappahannock, Cooper said, residential power lines stretch through the woods, making it difficult to keep them away from branches.
"When you live in a county like Rappahannock there's a lot of remote locations and you have to get power to them somehow," he said.
Upkeep, which is typically the power company's responsibility, can also be more difficult in rural areas, and many lines in Rappahannock have been neglected, Cooper said.
"A lot of these lines I think could use more maintenance.," he said. "They just haven't been kept up like they should."
Cooper said that power lines are typically the second or third most common cause of brush fires, but in the past few weeks they have led to more fires than any other source in Rappahannock and Madison counties, he said.
Cooper said that on Feb. 10, power lines caused about seven fires in Madison and Rappahannock counties. Since the summer, power lines have been cited as the source of six fires in Rappahannock, burning a total of 34 acres. No homes were damaged in the fires, Cooper said.
Washington Fire Chief Ann Spieker said that power lines caused two of the larger brush fires in recent years. In addition to the March 21 fire, another about three years ago burned 17 acres, she said.
Both and Cooper and Spieker recommended that homeowners occasionally check power lines on their property. Any branches growing too close to the lines or any old and decaying lines should be reported to the power provider, they said.
Brian Wolfe, a spokesperson for Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, said that owners can call in any potential problems for an assessment. He said that Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, which serves 937 customers in Rappahannock, regularly inspects its power lines.
Guidelines from Rappahannock Electric Cooperative advise owners not to plant trees or build under overhead lines.
E-mail the reporter at mpelkey@timespapers.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.