# what lightning can do



## spreaderman (Sep 22, 2005)

I took this picture a few years back. The picture doesn't do it justice.


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## kf_tree (Sep 22, 2005)

this is also what lightning can do
http://images.ibsys.com/2002/0411/1394385.jpg


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## smokechaser (Sep 23, 2005)

Heres a lightning struck tree that them broke off in a wind storm. Pretty decent sized Ponderosa. Im at the base. Im 6'3" tall. You can see the lightning scar down the front of the tree. The crack went all the way trough the tree. It was opening and closing in the wind the day I cut it. The tree split the rest of the way when it hit the ground.


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## Old Monkey (Sep 24, 2005)

kf_tree said:


> this is also what lightning can do
> http://images.ibsys.com/2002/0411/1394385.jpg



Good one!


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## pbtree (Oct 6, 2005)

Old Monkey said:


> Good one!



Scary one...


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## Grigory (Oct 7, 2005)

Near to this tree under ground passed an electrical power cable. The lightning left in a cable, in the house all electrodevices have burned down.


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## Sizzle-Chest (Oct 17, 2005)

smokechaser said:


> Heres a lightning struck tree that them broke off in a wind storm. Pretty decent sized Ponderosa. Im at the base. Im 6'3" tall. You can see the lightning scar down the front of the tree. The crack went all the way trough the tree. It was opening and closing in the wind the day I cut it. The tree split the rest of the way when it hit the ground.




thats a pretty beefy pondy you got there on the east side. Thought we had all the big trees on the west side. I see your wearing a yellow nomex shirt (am i right?) and white hard hat. Do you work for the Deschutes FS? I worked for the middle fork ranger district in westfir, and I remember seeing some guys from over sisters with white hard hats. Were you patrolling for lighting fires?


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## smokechase II (Oct 17, 2005)

Smokechaser:
Whatever happened to saving wildlife trees on Sister RD?
How much of that tree was on fire?
Sport falling or falling for sport?


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## smokechaser (Oct 17, 2005)

Tree was a hazard to the 11 road on green ridge.
top came down on the black top.

Sport falling? not that close to a road.

we save a lot of wildlife trees when they are not hazards to the public or employees.

I would be lying if I said it wasnt fun cutting it down though.


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## Locoweed (Oct 17, 2005)

*Lightning*

Here is one that happened about 3 years ago.


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## Sizzle-Chest (Oct 17, 2005)

smokechase II said:


> Smokechaser:
> Whatever happened to saving wildlife trees on Sister RD?
> How much of that tree was on fire?
> Sport falling or falling for sport?



hey, Ive heard of this sport falling stuff before, but it didnt make sense to me. It might be different cuz you work for FS, but trees are either owned by feds, state, or privately. Either way, your not allowed to cut them willy nilly, right? So, how does sport falling work? Just go out rogue style and fall whatever suits your fancy? I know that when I worked for the FS we would fall random trees all the time, but we were at work, so we could say that we were falling "danger trees" or "training." So whats the story behind sport falling? Anybody?


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## jp hallman (Oct 17, 2005)

Sport Falling? That's what agency cutters do on fires so the REAL fallers("C" fallers) don't have anything to do. Or, ahem, so I hear. <snicker>


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## jp hallman (Oct 17, 2005)

No, really. You've got the general idea down on "sport falling". It's when you haven't felled anything big and nasty in some time and here's your chance!


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## Sizzle-Chest (Oct 18, 2005)

jp hallman said:


> Sport Falling? That's what agency cutters do on fires so the REAL fallers("C" fallers) don't have anything to do. Or, ahem, so I hear. <snicker>



Some of the stuff I seen real fallers take down at fires Im pretty sure even the best FS cutters on our forest couldnt do (not to split any hairs here). I have to say that seeing real fallers at work on flaming old growth snags gives me a real appreciation for thier abilities. I say leave the firefighting to the firefighters and the falling to the fallers if you know what i mean.


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## jp hallman (Oct 18, 2005)

I know exactly! what you mean! But I'm a FALC("C" certified faller) so I might be a little biased on the opinion. Of course, how could I pass up on a chance to rib the agency fallers that might be in here. The way I look at it. If you'll jump out of an airplane to fight fire, you'll fall a tree for sport. I can't blame em' there!


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## smokechaser (Oct 18, 2005)

Some of the stuff I seen real fallers take down at fires I'm pretty sure even the best FS cutters on our forest couldn't do.

I'm not sure what forest your on. There are a good deal of fallers with experience that ranges far beyond occasional burning trees. Ive personally worked with many forest service employees who were "professional" loggers first and then came over to us. And vice/versa. 

I say leave the firefighting to the firefighters and the falling to the fallers if you know what i mean.

Historically, many fire fighters were loggers. Lots fire fighters are very good fallers. There is also a lot who suck.
But
some loggers aren't good fire fighters and if you work in the industry, I'm sure you've worked with a few loggers who were not good at falling also. I work with fire fighters who aren't worth a spit all the time.


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## Sizzle-Chest (Oct 18, 2005)

smokechaser said:


> I'm not sure what forest your on. There are a good deal of fallers with experience that ranges far beyond occasional burning trees. Ive personally worked with many forest service employees who were "professional" loggers first and then came over to us. And vice/versa.
> 
> Historically, many fire fighters were loggers. Lots fire fighters are very good fallers. There is also a lot who suck.
> But
> some loggers aren't good fire fighters and if you work in the industry, I'm sure you've worked with a few loggers who were not good at falling also. I work with fire fighters who aren't worth a spit all the time.



Okay, I'll clarify. I worked just on the other side of your district, on the Willamette National Forest, at the middle fork in Westfir. Now, most of the trees we got fallers for where pretty big and pretty nasty. Not to be rude, but fact is most of the trees on this side are substantially larger than on your side of the cascades. That pondy you were cutting seems to be the exception, and its an awsome picture by the way. There are some plenty good fallers working for the FS, but in most cases, the trees needing to be cut over here are not for FS employees who have some falling experience, they were severly dangerous trees that required skills of someone who spends every day cutting. 

And historically, fire fighters were any drunks the ranger could round up in the saloons cuz the rest had better jobs logging. You think foreman would stop a logging show just so his guys could go fight some fire unless the fire was on the unit they were logging? There are some good and bad fallers and firefighters just like any job, but now-a-days both have their place.


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## smokechaser (Oct 18, 2005)

copy that


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