This discussion began on July 19, 2025, when a climber using the handle DRBetz started a thread on the TreeBuzz forum titled “Let’s Talk About Electrical Awareness.” Within a few days, the post had drawn replies from more than a dozen arborists, all dissecting a near miss that could easily have turned fatal.

DRBetz described being 50 feet up in an insulated bucket, trimming the top of an unbalanced maple tree. He was holding a 2-inch branch as he cut it with a handsaw when it tipped toward nearby power lines. “For about a second I felt a strong tingling of electricity,” he wrote. “I’ve spoken with a doctor, and everything seems fine at the moment.” He admitted that end-of-week fatigue, complacency around lower-voltage wires and a simple lack of focus had played a part. His question to the group was simple and raw: How do you stay alert around wires you already know are there?

The replies came quickly.

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Misfit, from Baton Rouge, offered congratulations for surviving and suggested that the shock might become a lasting teacher. He pointed out that accidents often come not from poor reasoning, but from the absence of thought altogether. “Robots can focus one hundred percent of the time,” he wrote. “People can’t. Frequent mental breaks and focus reminders can help, but I don’t know a way to eliminate the risk entirely.”

ATH, an arborist from Ohio, asked whether DRBetz had a ground helper that day. He said that verbal check-ins before each cut near wires can save lives. “It’ll get old,” he admitted, “but your helper might see what you don’t.” Others, such as Levi R, advised staying clear altogether. “I just leave that to the pros,” he said. “Call the utility for a safety prune.”

The thread soon turned toward the physics of the incident. Bart_, posting from Ontario, questioned how current could travel through an insulated bucket, gloves and wood. DRBetz estimated that the line carried around 14,000 volts, and suspected that the current ran through the branch into the rest of the tree, finding a path to ground through moisture and contact points. A new member, PCPTR33 from Michigan, added that he’d seen similar mishaps. “Most fatalities lately haven’t been from the primaries,” he wrote. “It’s usually secondary or even house-drop voltage. People relax around it. Patience and methodical movement – that’s what saves you.”

Face the dragon
Tom Dunlap, a longtime TreeBuzz administrator and retired arborist from Minneapolis, stepped in with one of the most memorable replies. He urged workers to “face the dragon” – his phrase for confronting danger directly. “Always keep the wires in front of you,” he advised. “Cuts at noon, not eleven. Rehearse every cut within your minimum approach distance three times before you make it. That puts your mind in slow speed.”

Other veterans echoed that theme. Ghostice, writing from Canada, described “autopilot work” as a silent killer. “End of the day, newbie or journeyman, always be on guard for cruise control,” he said. “If your head’s not fully in it, stop. Plan. Work the what-ifs.” He added that the most dangerous days are the ones when personal stress or distraction follows you up the tree.

As the discussion deepened, a side debate emerged about voltage and danger. Bart_ wondered aloud why 220-volt house drops statistically are more lethal than 14 kV lines. Tuebor answered that workers tend to take fewer precautions around lower voltage because it feels safer and happens closer to the ground. PCPTR33 added that house current can deliver more amperage, which often makes it more painful and deadly despite the lower voltage. (Ed: TCIA’s experience, with 16 years of collecting anecdotal information as well as first-hand reports on serious or fatal tree care accidents, suggests that primary distribution voltage is statistically the most lethal.)

Confrontation
Then came a jolt of confrontation. Daniel, from suburban Philadelphia, scolded the original poster harshly. “The fact that you’d call them ‘electric lines’ shows you shouldn’t go anywhere near them,” he wrote. “Maybe you should change careers.” That remark drew immediate pushback. Moss, a veteran climber from Massachusetts, defended DRBetz, pointing out that he had EHAP training and was asking the right questions. “Choice of words doesn’t equal ignorance,” Moss wrote. “That kind of honesty is exactly what keeps people safe.” Dunlap stepped in again, adding that utility language varies regionally – “like soda and pop” – and that many commercial tree workers use different terminology from line-clearance crews.

By July 23, the thread had grown to 22 posts. DRBetz returned to clarify that the wires were primaries and thanked the group for its mix of support, advice and hard truth. Others shared stories of their own encounters: a neighbor who heard electricity “sizzling” through a conifer the utility had missed, a spruce at a church that kept tripping breakers after brushing primaries.

Conclusion
What began as a personal confession evolved into a case study of humility, focus and shared learning. The collective message was unmistakable; electricity doesn’t care about experience or intention. Training helps, but attention saves lives. As Dunlap put it, facing the dragon means keeping your mind where your hands are – and remembering that when the dragon is a live wire, you may only get to be wrong once.