TONTO NATIONAL FOREST, AZ — The warning signs are already visible, brown needles, dead limbs, entire trees weakened by years of standing tall in the Tonto National Forest. In Arizona’s forests, those dying trees are becoming a growing issue, especially when they stand just feet from power lines.
“If they were to fall, it could cause a power outage or even worse, a wildfire,” said APS arborist Carl Nelson.
This normally behind-the-scenes crew of arborists and tree cutters with Arizona Public Service is taking a proactive approach, removing dead and dying trees before they can cause problems. It’s part of a broader effort to prevent wildfires sparked by falling trees hitting power lines, reduce the risk of outages, and protect infrastructure across thousands of miles of electric lines
“We want to increase reliability and reduce the risks of wildfires, so we have to remove these hazards,” Nelson said.
The process is precise. Crews identify trees that pose a threat, sometimes towering as high as 70 feet. Then ropes are carefully placed high into the tree, crews maintain a safe distance from energized lines, chainsaws cut at the trunk, and workers use the ropes to guide the tree safely down away from power lines
APS says they’re seeing more tree deaths across Arizona, and drought is a major reason why.
“It seems like we are seeing more and more die-off with our trees with the drought we’ve been in,” Nelson said.
That means each trip into the forest isn’t just about removing known hazards, it’s also a chance to find new ones before they become dangerous.
APS says the public can help identify potential hazards. If you notice a dead or dying tree near power line or branches hanging over electrical infrastructure You can contact APS, and in many cases, they’ll inspect and remove the tree at no cost. You can also request free wood chips from the trees APS has cut down.
