FAIRFAX COUNTY
Man Killed While Trimming Tree
By Tom Jackman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 30, 2007; Page B03
An amateur tree-trimmer, working on limbs 30 feet above the ground, was killed in Fairfax County on Wednesday when a branch splintered and struck him in the neck, police said yesterday.
The man was identified as Phuoc Huu Le, 53. Officers said he had been hired by the owner of an empty house in the Falls Church area to prune branches of an oak tree in the back yard.
Le had already trimmed several limbs when he cut most of the way through a large branch that snapped back and struck him about 5 p.m., Officer Donald R. Gotthardt said. Firefighters were called to rescue Le, who remained in the tree, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gotthardt said there was a witness to the incident, and officers said they think the death was accidental.
Neighbors said the house, in the 3400 block of Annandale Road, had recently been sold. The new owner could not be identified yesterday. Le's family was not home yesterday and could not be located for comment. Investigators said they think that Le was unemployed and that the new homeowner had hired him so Le could make some money.
At the base of the tree yesterday, a candle and some incense had been burned, surrounded by fresh pears, apples and grapefruit. Two gas-powered chain saws and two lengths of white rope lay nearby.
Experts said that significant tree work should be handled by professionals. "Tree care, in general, is one of the most hazardous professions," said John Sevier, an arborist and tree accident expert in San Diego who analyzes tree-related injuries and deaths.
"What makes tree accidents so common is that tree workers or arborists are suspended in the air," Sevier said. "Anything that happens to you, you always have the possibility of falling. And you're running a chain saw, which adds another element of danger, because you can easily cut yourself or your safety equipment."
If a tree-trimmer does cut himself while suspended in a tree, Sevier said, he can bleed to death before help arrives. Or cut branches can fall "in an unpredictable way," possibly causing a severe or fatal injury.
Tree-trimmers also come into contact with overhead power lines. "That probably happens with frightening frequency," Sevier said, adding that branches can conduct a fatal amount of electricity.
Such hazards help explain "why a properly trained, certified arborist charges a substantial fee. It's because we have to have the safety equipment, the training" and certification, Sevier said.
Sevier said property owners should hire only certified arborists, who carry a card from the International Society of Arboriculture. For large jobs, consumers should be sure that the arborist is a licensed contractor who will be able to assume full responsibility and have the proper equipment.
Sevier also said homeowners should call their local power company to see whether their targeted trees are near power lines. Utility workers will typically "come out for free and advise the homeowner," Sevier said, and if limbs are near high-voltage lines, the company often will also trim them at no charge.
Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)
