Hazard Tree Felling - Hang-ups

Felling a hung-up hazard tree is a particularly hazardous and complex task. Safely felling a hang-up requires extreme caution and expertise.
The following are some topics sawyers should review during tailgate safety discussions to address felling hang-up hazard trees:
Size up and Evaluation:
- Cut/No Cut (walk-away). Is tree secure and does it need to come down?
- What type of hang-up? In a fork, pinched between two trees, or resting on limbs?
- Vertical hang-ups have increased complexities.
- Condition of all relevant trees live, dead, rot, etc. Does the hang-up tree have any weak areas that could fail?
- Obscured view of top?
- If sawyer is unsure of the outcome, do not attempt to cut a leaner.
Operational Considerations:
- Escape routes for unforeseen circumstances?
- Consider falling trees as a group.
- Consider face cuts versus slash cuts for directional control.
- Rope technique allows increased distance from danger zones.
Alternative Mitigations:
- Blasting.
- Heavy equipment/cable.
- No Work Zones.
Discuss any personal lessons learned with hang-up trees that you may have experienced.
References:
- 10 & 18 Poster, PMS 110-18
- 10 Standard Firefighting Orders, PMS 110
- 18 Watch Out Situations, PMS 118
- Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations (Red Book)
- NWCG Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), PMS 461
- NWCG Standards for Helicopter Operations, PMS 510
- RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR)
- Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center
Have an idea or feedback?
Share it with the NWCG 6MFS Subcommittee.