Powerline wires can swing and sag due to wind, temperature, the weight of the lines . How far they can swing or sage can also depend on the distance between the poles.
When trees or vegetation make contact with high voltage powerlines, they can:
- cause an electric shock if a tree's bark is wet and a person touches it
- start a fire
- interrupt power supply.
Even without direct contact, trees that are too close to powerlines can cause:
- a flash over between a high voltage powerline and a tree, injuring anyone climbing or too close to the tree
- damage from falling branches, such as breaking the wires or stripping the insulators off them.
Dangers of broken powerlines
Broken powerlines are extremely dangerous because:
- live wires could:
- fall to the ground
- cause fires
- contact stobie poles and cause an electric shock to anyone touching the pole
- high voltage powerlines falling on low voltage powerlines can cause flashovers and power surges, resulting in:
- a fire
- damage to electrical appliances
- an electric shock if someone is touching the appliance.
