This Advisory is designed to raise awareness of firefighters and all field going employees of the increasing

falling tree hazards across the country. In several geographic areas this spring’s wet weather has
accelerated root rot in beetle-killed trees and even green trees, and has created a safety hazard that will be
difficult to mitigate. Wind and especially high winds, elevate the danger even more. All regions have
mounting hazard tree dangers where forest health conditions are in decline.

Heads up to all firefighters and all employees working and/or mobilizing to regions that have mountain pine
beetle affected forests. There are three million acres alone in Colorado and Wyoming, (specifically the
White River NF, Arapaho and Roosevelt and MedBow Routt National Forests) of dead or dying trees
infected by insects. Other western regions and forests (R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6), snags are an ever-
increasing hazard after years of drought, fire exclusion, and bug kill.

The downed tree photo is from a near miss while Red Wedge
working on a fuels project. Wind was less than 5 mph
in the area. Trees were not touching each other.
Rotten tree fell towards the sawyer when he was
making the back cut on the felling tree, see the red
wedges. The swamper noticed the other tree falling
and was able to get the sawyer out of the way in time.
Both the sawyer and swamper were able to get out of
the way without being hit by the rotten tree.

SUMMARY Of SAFETY ISSUES

For decades, hazard trees have been associated with
numerous deaths and injuries of people assigned to fire operations as well project work. Incidents involving
hazard trees and accidental deaths, is one of the top concern of Federal resource management agencies. In
the private sector, logging is recognized as the most hazardous occupation in the nation, and many associated
fatalities involve hazard trees. The mountain pine beetle epidemic means that there are more standing dead
trees than ever before and we all need to be careful when in the forests, as trees can fall at any time. Hazard
trees in or outside of infested areas, can be dead, dying or even green trees that have become unstable, and
are one of the most common risks encountered in a forested environment. During the last couple of years
there have been an alarming number of near misses and injuries related to tree felling, fire fighting, and
resource management projects. As identified in a newly reported near miss on the R3 South Fork fire, a
firefighter was scouting line and while transiting through a bug kill area, a treetop broke loose hitting him
with a glancing blow to the shoulder.

1
 Falling Trees don’t kill people!
It’s people not being aware of their surroundings that leads to a
serious or fatal accident.

All Employees and Firefighters working and traveling through the forest are at risk of injury from
falling snags, trees, and limbs.

1. Fire Personnel – should follow current Risk Management and Risk Refusal procedures as specified in the
PMS 461, Incident Response Pocket Guide. All employees and/or crews will disengage immediately if
reliable radio communication is lost.
2. Develop and review JHAs and Risk Assessments.
3. Training: All firefighters and employees must be given basic training in recognizing potential hazard trees.
4. Identify and Evaluate work areas.
5. Implement LCES (lookouts, communications, escape routes, safety zones) and other hazard control measures.
Look up, down and all around for hazard tree indicators and high risk tree species.
6. Mitigate the hazards with steps agreed to by you and your supervisor.
7. Establish an emergency medical plan and ensure that it is current and known by all.
8. Situational Awareness = SA = Staying Alive: Check weather forecast before leaving, but be prepared if it’s
wrong.
9. Place camps and park vehicles in areas where they will not be hit if a tree falls. Also take lunch breaks in the
open, free of potential hazard trees.
10. Have an ax, saw or chainsaw to remove fallen trees from roads in case you become trapped.
11. Are you prepared? Do you have the right PPE to start with.

Remember, use the following:

SNAG (Hazard Tree) SAFETY:
Size up snag hazards in work area.
Never become complacent.
Always look up.
Get weather reports.
 
Scout out parking, sleeping, work areas, and safety zones.
Advise co-workers of known hazards.
Face your hazard and take appropriate action.
Examine work area for other hazards.
Take extra caution around heavy equipment.
You are ultimately responsible for your own safety

For more information on hazard trees try these websites: http://www.wildfirelessons.net/Home.aspx,

http://www.nwcg.gov/branches/pre/rmc/httf/links.html,
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/projects/haztree_index.shtml,
http://www.wildfirelessons.net/documents/Principles_Of_Hazard_Tree_Risk_Mgmnt.pdf,

Many of you have had personal experiences with hazard trees. Share those experiences and lessons with
others. It may save a life. Attached is a near miss in the Rocky Mountain Region in late 2009.