Neighbors: Trees touching EWEB power lines ignited 2 fires

Presenter: Eugene residents warn EWEB that trees coming into contact with power lines near 22nd and Kincaid have already sparked two fires, and despite first contacting EWEB over a year ago, nothing has changed. At the board meeting March 4, Kim Donahey:

Kim Donahey: My name is Kim Donahey. I’m deeply concerned about the fire risk from overgrown trees near power lines in my neighborhood. A neighbor in the alley signed a contract with EWEB in 1991 preventing tree trimming. But conditions have changed dramatically since then. Wildfires weren’t a major concern back then, but now with increasing heat, drought, and high winds, the risk is too great to ignore.

[00:00:45] We’ve seen the devastation power line fires can cause. The 2018 campfire sparked by a PG&E power line destroyed Paradise, California, killing 85 people. In August 2023, drought and high winds and downed power lines devastated Lahaina, Hawai’i and killed over 100 people and displaced over 5,000. Then this January, Pacific Palisades and Altadena saw devastating fires. Power lines, wind, and drought fueled this desolation.

[00:01:20] There have been two fires in my alley in the past two winters caused by tree branches hitting the power lines. Fortunately, both were extinguished by rain and snow.

[00:01:33] A firefighter on the scene warned us that by July, Eugene could face a disaster like California or Hawai’i. I understand the EWEB is in litigation over this contract, but this legal battle has gone on for a year while the fire risk continues to grow.

[00:01:52] If a fire starts under summer conditions, it could be catastrophic. I urge EWEB to take emergency action or find a way to expedite this process before it’s too late. Waiting until after disaster strikes doesn’t seem to be a good option.

[00:02:11] Presenter: Chris Jones:

[00:02:12] Chris Jones: My name is Chris Jones. I was an EWEB employee for six years, during which time I worked with many water and electric field crews on projects and on storm responses. And in my time at EWEB, I saw that what the management and staff say about EWEB and its commitment to safety is really true. EWEB almost always places the safety of its employees and its customers above all of its other priorities, which is great.

[00:02:39] Unfortunately, my neighbors and I are experiencing a situation in which the safety of our property and our lives is being threatened by EWEB’s failure to resolve a problem that we have reported.

[00:02:52] This is a follow-up to an email message sent to EWEB’s vegetation management supervisor on Feb. 11 of last year—over a year ago—by EWEB customer Kim Donahey. Kim is one of my neighbors.

[00:03:08] On the evening of Jan. 16, 2024, during the ice storm that I’m sure you all remember, ice-covered branches sagged and came into repeated contact with 12,000-volt electric lines above Kim’s house on East 22nd Avenue.

[00:03:25] I sent a video of the event to EWEB’s vegetation management supervisor and this afternoon to Commissioner (John) Barofsky, who can share it with the rest of you.

[00:03:35] The video shows the trees’ branches burning as they came in contact with the wires. The fire burned continuously for over 50 (that’s five-zero) minutes, dropping pieces of burning debris onto the roof of my neighbor’s house.

[00:03:51] This hazardous situation and the subsequent power outage experienced on a below-freezing night by over 1,400 residences was caused by substandard levels of tree trimming…

[00:04:04] A group of homeowners in the neighborhood have been attempting for over a year to work with EWEB to make this situation safe. But we have continually received responses that this situation is in the hands of EWEB’s lawyers. Nothing has happened. And the tree branches are in contact with electrical wires over Kim’s house as I speak with you tonight.

[00:04:28] It’s past time to make this situation safe for Ms. Donahey and the 1,400 other residences. If the legal situation cannot be resolved, it’s time to implement a technical solution, whether that’s rerouting the power lines, placing them underground, or whatever safe situation EWEB deems suitable.

[00:04:47] Presenter: EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson:

[00:04:50] Frank Lawson (EWEB, general manager): Chris Jones and Kim, totally understand the sense of urgency and we agree with that. I think we’re trying to expedite the process here as fast as we can as well. We totally recognize that there’s a sense of urgency there and we want to get this resolved also. It’s been since 1991 and we’d like to get it done.

[00:05:08] Presenter: EWEB Commissioner John Brown:

[00:05:11] John Brown (EWEB, commissioner): Chris and Kim, I know that if there’s litigation involved, we can’t get into it, but I guarantee our general manager heard you loud and clear and they will take whatever action they do need to respond to you and whatever, because if anybody understands the importance of safety, we do. So thank you very much for bringing that to our attention.

[00:05:28] Presenter: EWEB Commissioner Sonya Carlson:

[00:05:30] Sonya Carlson (EWEB, commissioner): We’ll talk with General Manager Lawson again to get more of an understanding on the litigation situation there. It’s certainly concerning and I know that we’re working to get what we can done. Thank you for sharing that and coming out because as you mentioned, we do value safety very much.

[00:05:51] Presenter: Eugene residents say trees touching power lines have already started two fires. They are asking EWEB to act quickly, warning that the next fire could blow up into an urban conflagration, just like Paradise, Lahaina, and LA.

Image: Google Maps satellite images show tree branches above and below the power lines in Harris Alley, east of 22nd and Kincaid.