This is the kind of stuff that make people in my area...

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Mr5150

I disagree. The camp was "near power lines" because it had electricity-for lighting heating and all the usual reasons. The were the lines that ran to the camp buildings. Same as the lines that run to your house.

Trees fall for many reasons and it is not the resposibility or fault of anyone in this case. How does one know when a 100 foot oak, that looked health was going to snap in two?
Which begs the question: why are they suing the power company-and not Camp Towanga?

(also,if you read the article you would have discovered the person killed was an adult camp couselor)

Hi,

IF the tree was near a powerline AND if it was near where people would be, THEN some note should have been taken. IF it was NOT in a common area, then such is life. Being a councelor does not change the reality that employers are responsible for safety; AND the power company should have said something IF they SAW a tree that could FALL on the power line. IF they did not see this, if it was a truly unlikely direction for the tree to fall, etc, then that is life.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by zombocom

Forests are a place where trees fall, that is called assumption of risk.

Then why blame the kids for attending a summer camp in a forest?

[DMenscha]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Hi,

IF the tree was near a powerline AND if it was near where people would be, THEN some note should have been taken. IF it was NOT in a common area, then such is life. Being a councelor does not change the reality that employers are responsible for safety; AND the power company should have said something IF they SAW a tree that could FALL on the power line. IF they did not see this, if it was a truly unlikely direction for the tree to fall, etc, then that is life.

Let me tell you that almost every foot of powerlines in the Sierra Foothills is within the radius of a tree falling. EVERY FOOT. The power companies spend a lot of money removing branches that are below and/or impinging on the lines.

Sort of the mindset that the OP was talking about. It's a forest out there!

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

Let me tell you that almost every foot of powerlines in the Sierra Foothills is within the radius of a tree falling. EVERY FOOT. The power companies spend a lot of money removing branches that are below and/or impinging on the lines.

Sort of the mindset that the OP was talking about. It's a forest out there!

There was an article in today's local paper about the suit. The usual day late-the UD's motto should be: Yesterdays News Today!"

Anyway, it turns out the tree in question was examined in Dec 2012 by PG&E and by the camp arborist and it "showed no signs of disease or structural problems" What's more is the investigators at the scene made the same conclusion. Oak trees (and pines) are known in our area to fail due to summer or oak drop.

Looking at the logic of the family (and some posters here) perhaps all summer camps should be located in treeless areas. Oh my! It was a wonder I never got killed at Camp Mather.

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

Let me tell you that almost every foot of powerlines in the Sierra Foothills is within the radius of a tree falling. EVERY FOOT. The power companies spend a lot of money removing branches that are below and/or impinging on the lines.

That's a fact, DMencha. I'm surprised some are surprised by this.

[Curmudgeon]

[quote=Tex?Il?;30891654]One of the small things I love about the culture of California over other western states, is that there is no "us vs them" thing going nearly as much as elsewhere.

Right! It's everyone against everyone suing anyone for anything all the time.

[JGC97]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Right! It's everyone against everyone suing anyone for anything all the time.

At any opportunity