Tree Trimming Program

Trinity PUD's Tree Trimming Program and Other Fire Prevention Programs

Trees growing into power lines or falling during storms creates the RISK OF FIRE and POWER OUTAGES. Trimming and maintaining the trees surrounding the service wires to your home or business is the property owner's responsibility. Call Trinity PUD when you do this important work and we will de-energize your power line at no charge.

Trinity PUD has robust programs to maintain electric system reliability and to prevent and mitigate fires. This includes programs to trim trees, clear around poles, maintain our equipment, and document results

• Extensive annual tree trimming, tree removal, and pole clearance – that meets the new more stringent vegetation management regulations – covering the entire electric overhead distribution system in a 3-year cycle.
• Visually inspecting annually 100% of our overhead power lines, poles, equipment, and surrounding trees/vegetation. The state of California is taking unprecedented measures to protect all California residents and businesses from the risk of wildfire.
• Certain conditions, when paired with extreme weather events, can pose an increased risk of wildfire. Examples of these conditions include high wind days, low humidity levels, dry vegetation that could fuel a wildfire, and Red Flag Warnings declared by the National Weather Service.
• Prior to the following conditions that raise a heightened potential for wildfires, Trinity PUD will set all of its automatic reclosers on “one-shot”. This will cause the power line to de-energize when there is a contact made with any powerline where the contact results in sufficient fault current to trip the recloser. The recloser will not attempt to re-energize the line automatically.
• Routine maintenance of all components of the electric distribution system.
• Full documentation of maintenance and tree-trimming in the Trinity PUD's GIS and Asset Management Systems.
• Investigating solutions to replace expulsionary fuses.
• Consideration of delaying non-critical work during Red Flag Warnings and severe wind events.
• Building the overhead electric distribution system to California's Heavy Loading District requirements.
• Managing the vegetation, fuel loading, and defensible space on all of our properties to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
• Work with Pacific Gas & Electric in Big Bar, Hyampom, Forest Glen, and Grouse Creek during their Public Safety Power Shutoffs.

When planting trees please make sure that you avoid the areas under and around power lines. If a tree begins to grow close to our powerline either within our right-of-way or below it, Trinity PUD prefers to remove a tree instead of trimming the tree.