# So how would you put out THIS fire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 8, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125 "2009-10-08T23:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/1 "2009-10-08T23:52:29Z")
> **[Tree Electrocutes Itself on Power Lines, Goes Down in a Ball of Fire](https://gizmodo.com/tree-electrocutes-itself-on-power-lines-goes-down-in-a-5377378)** > > Click to viewWhat happens when a tree rubs up against a power line too much? The power line asserts some authority, and the tree turns into a giant tower of flames. Neat! \[CollegeHumor via Geekologie\] Not with water, that’s fer sure! ---
**Author:** ![Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bites_when_provoked/32/18073_2.png) [@Bites\_When\_Provoked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bites_When_Provoked)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/2 "2009-10-11T00:38:04Z")
Actually, you do put them out with water. Electricity supply to the lines is cut while the problem is fixed. Sorry for the boring answer, but I thought you’d like to know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/3 "2009-10-11T00:40:12Z")
Well, just so long as the power’s cut…otherwise, things might get MUCH more interesting! ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/4 "2009-10-11T01:04:14Z")
I saw this happen in my backyard in 2004 when Tropical Storm (Hurricane) Cindy made a direct hit here. It wasn’t too bad of a storm. The NHC decided it was a hurricane after the fact…it was right on the borderline of a Category 1. When it happened, we were getting probably 40-50 MPH sustained winds with 70+ gusts. My ex-wife looked out the window and saw a shower of sparks. A tall pine tree was blowing into the power lines and was on fire. I spread open the blinds and pressed my nose up to the window to see what was happening just as a branch broke off and bridged the hot and neutral wires and there was a blinding flash and a loud WOOOOMP sound. Then the power went out. Unlike on the video, the lines didn’t attempt to reset themselves. The lights went out and stayed out for a couple of days until they came and replaced the transformer on the pole next-door. Also, the tree stopped burning almost immediately after the lights went out. It was pouring rain at that point and I guess the rain put the fire out. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/5 "2009-10-11T02:11:26Z")
That’s nothing. This is what a real electrical fire looks like" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzbQjd\_Oo4Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzbQjd_Oo4Q) ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/6 "2009-10-11T06:29:54Z")
Video of treerannosaurus Rex extinction! ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/7 "2009-10-11T07:04:05Z")
[I thought this thread would be about this.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=509482) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-would-you-put-out-this-fire/513125/8 "2009-10-11T09:25:35Z")
Take that NATURE! Beatch!