Southern California Edison has been removing trees that could blow or fall into its power lines for years to help ensure the reliability of the system. But because of climate change and the increasing risk of catastrophic wildfires, the utility is enhancing its vegetation work to further help mitigate the fire hazard and protect public safety.

As part of SCE’s wildfire mitigation risk effort, trained personnel are assessing trees that might pose a hazard to SCE facilities in high fire risk areas. About 100 contract crews specially trained to work around power lines will be removing the trees.

SCE expects to remove thousands of hazard trees over the coming years to reduce the risk of wildfire.

Hazard tree assessments and removal have already begun in the mountain communities of Arrowhead/Crestline, Idyllwild and Mammoth, but they also will be working in other high fire risk areas designated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

“Any trees with significant defects or a site condition that could cause it to fail will be removed,” said Chuck Dykes, SCE’s senior specialist overseeing the utility’s hazard tree removal program.

While these communities have dead and dying trees that obviously need to be removed, SCE is also assessing trees that may appear to the untrained eye to be healthy.

"We’re looking for trees with cracks or crevices, split trunks or that have been uprooted,” Dykes said. Hazard trees may also be on a slope or leaning in a way in which they could potentially fall into or contact power lines.

Once a tree is identified as a hazard, SCE will attempt to notify the property owner that it will be removed. The trees will be removed at no cost to the property owner.

In addition to SCE’s own hazard tree removal work, Edison International, SCE’s parent company, awarded $500,000 to the National Forest Foundation. The foundation will use part of the money to work with the U.S. Forest Service and local partners to remove hazard trees in the Sierra National Forest. The California Conservation Corps Foundation also received $500,000 from Edison to, in part, remove trees in support of Pomona/Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, Camarillo, Los Padres and the Los Pinos Tent Camp.

While woody trees are a major target of SCE’s wildfire mitigation efforts, SCE is also identifying palms that may pose a hazard to power lines.

“Palms are by far our No. 1 cause of vegetation-related power outages,” said Dykes.

Dykes noted that the risk of some palms is not always readily apparent because of their seeming distance from utility equipment. But in windy weather, their fronds can get picked up and sail for hundreds of feet before lodging in power lines.

Palms also are highly flammable and can drop embers that can start a wildfire or be carried by the wind, igniting additional fires and placing the public at risk.

Besides hazard tree removal, residents may also see other crews trimming trees near power lines as part of SCE’s ongoing vegetation management program.

Dykes, a horticulturalist and an ISA Certified Arborist, knows that residents love their trees and are reluctant to see them trimmed or removed.

“We understand completely — we love trees too,” said Dykes. “But we are only doing this work because we want to improve power reliability and keep our communities safe from wildfire.”