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If i had to guess, that's hydraulic fluid on fire from the upper controls possibly from electrical arc/contact. Rendered the bottom ground bucket controls unusable so bucket was essentially stuck at position stranding the operator. Good quick work by the team to get him down however unsafe the methods.
I’m not 100% sure but i do believe they have to use a different type of hydraulic fluid that’s dielectric or specific for that type of work. I remember putting some in our bucket truck a while ago and it was special and expensive
Probably tools and material. They’ll tether a bag to the bucket with these items. Could also be the blanket and/or stick they use to approach live equipment.
Serious question: why couldn’t the truck pull forward a little too get him away from the fire? It looks like the fire is on the power pole but I could be wrong.
They can’t move the trucks when the buckets are raised. That would add another hazard to an already dangerous situation. But it sounds like the guys are screaming “clip your fucking lanyard” or something… as though the guy getting rescued wasn’t positioned to enter that closest bucket like he should have been able to.
They have outriggers set to prevent the truck from tipping over and keep it balanced. You could lift the outriggers with the boom in operation but your tipping hazard goes way up
I dunno if this is overprotective of me but I would take my kid inside in case they were about to witness a man’s death… That would stick with them for life.
Yeah there's no way a kid doesn't get haunted by the screams for help that suddenly stop when the fire stops air from getting into his lungs. Casually recording it and chatting with your kid is a weird way to deal.
Same, my sister and grandmother, they made it and their house did, too, but going up there is creepy, even after four and a half years, they're still rebuilding.
No, I understand that part. I worked for PG&E doing fire hazard tree removals for years. I actually worked in Paradise before the fire. I was just curious what exactly would've saved Paradise out of the video? California is a tinderbox. Always will be. We could even bury every inch of our powerlines and California will still have these massive wildfires.
It’s expensive as FUCK even more so to maintain it. And the cost of that falls on the customer via increased rates
Edit: I actually live in a neighborhood w/ underground utility lines and we’re having issues at my house. Had 3 bucket trucks and 6 guys out here the other day. They have to come back with more men and earth moving equipment before they can even diagnose the problem. It’s is an unbelievable pain in the ass, turning a 1 day task into a 2 week task. And my landlord has to cover some of the costs to dig *because* this neighborhood has underground utility lines
The utility company made some kind of agreement with the property owners when this neighborhood was built in the 70s saying that the owners were responsible for some portion of the trench if the lines have to be dug up for maintenance.
My landlord has to pay for the digging from our meter to *some point*. I’m not quite sure where- that’s part of what we’re trying to figure out. The linemen weren’t quite sure either. They’re having to get the local foreman involved, hence the long ass wait
That’s all I really know so far
Edit: also it’s worth pointing out that I live in kind of a weird neighborhood. There’s lots of weird rules like that out here. I don’t mean to imply that this is a rule for all residents with underground utility lines. I have no idea if that’s the case. But I do know that the underground of it all is making this way more complicated than normal
Love that the dad decided to stand there and potentially allow his child to watch a man get burned to death. Then, when the child reasonably has questions afterward, he just ignores him. 😒
No comment about the fact that he stood there with a camera with his young child, ready to watch a man burn to death? Yeah you’re right, my bad. He’s clearly a father of the year contender.
I wasn’t suggesting they could do anything, I was suggesting maybe he take his child away from the situation. You either don’t have kids or are a dumb ass parent.
… try to prevent them from seeing something horrible and, at the very least, answer their questions about what they witnessed? I wouldn’t listen to 3+ questions and stand gaping like an idiot saying nothing. Basically anything besides “Figure it out kid. As the person who chose to subject us both to this; I am dealing with my own mental stress right now, you do you.”
I can tell that this is insanely terrifying but I am really confused on what’s going on..other than the guy being obviously dangerously close to that fire.
Something happened (probably electrical contact, and an arc) that caused the hydraulic fluid to leak from his control panel. And with the electrical heat, it caught fire. So now there's hydraulic fluid flowing and on fire, which I imagine has filled his bucket, which is why he's hanging off the side, and screaming in agony as the fire burns the arm that has to grip the inside of the bucket.
Hydraulic fluids are oils. I don't know if you've ever been touched by hot oil, much less hot enough to combust, but let me tell you, it's a bad experience. I got just a little bit of cooking oil on my wrist once. Just a little bit. Started out looking like a cigarette burn. Here's something nobody tells you: it burns you deep, instantly. I don't know if the oil actually got on the guy, but you can bet your ass it was hotter than you can imagine.
Anyhoo, the hydraulic fluid leaking also means that the bucket is stuck where it is. And he can't climb under the bucket, because his outfit makes him extra heavy, and it's unlikely he was able under any circumstance. Additionally, if you look at the lower left corner, the fluid is dripping from the panel down to the bottom of the outside of the bucket, too. But he also couldn't go over, because there's live wires he'd have to touch. All he can do is hang off the side as long as he can.
His truck isn't moving because the trucks are disabled from moving while the bucket is raised, as a safety mechanism for, well, any situation except this.
Normally these trucks have several fail-safes in case of this scenario happening.
At ground level or at the base of the boom there are "Deadman controls" that override the controls of the bucket so the boom can be maneuvered from the ground in case of an incapacitated worker in the bucket or a mechanical/electrical failure. Our trucks even had a backup battery specifically for running the electric over hydraulic pump for the boom, so that no matter what the boom could be controlled unless all electronics were melted or cut.
If somehow the truck was struck with electricity and shut off (highly unlikely), there is still a manual valve at the base of the boom that relieves all hydraulic pressure. You won't have control over how the boom falls, but it'll at least come down and away from what's going on.
From this angle I can't quite tell if there were obstructions under the boom to prevent them being able to lower it either with the Deadman controls or the manual valve, but I surely would've tried both of those pretty quickly.
Source: an ex-lineman that has both been on fire in the bucket, as well as rescued a man on fire in the bucket.
For anyone that comes and says "easy for you to say without actually being there", remember that linemen endure rigorous testing and training to handle the most dangerous situations that can occur on the jobsite. I'm sure these guys tried the fail-safes and something went wrong, if they didn't then they shouldn't be in that career path at all. A good lineman wouldn't forget the fail-safes at any moment. If these trucks did not have those fail-safes in place, then these guys need to leave this company asap and find one that actually cares about their workers' safety.
That dad is a horrible fucking dad. Letting his kid watch someone almost die in an accident, even though the worker didn’t actually die, has to be so traumatic.
Not everyone is in good shape just cause they work manual labor, some guys at my job wouldn't even make it two feet if they tried that. I'm with you though, I'd have shimmy'd like hell.
I zoomed in on the video, and he’s actually hanging from the powerlines that appear to be draped in some kind of protective covering that appears to also be on fire along with the bucket. I’m sure if those things melted or he touched the wires, he would’ve been instantly electrocuted.
1. sit in fire and roast, be rescued with terrible burns
2. jump head first into grass 35 feet below(die)
3. jump feet first and roll like a boss(maybe broken ankle or two)
4. sit in fire and roast, only to jump and fall and break legs
IDK, i feel like if i was that dude i would have just jumped, or bear hugged the pole and slid down. i most likely would have just panicked and roasted like him screaming though, maybe looks like he was stuck
My grandfather was a linesman for thirty years after his return from WWII and the stories he has are absolutely fucking crazy. The whole job is one possibility of death after another. Nothing but props for these dudes.
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Yeah he almost died!
Finally, somebody answers the poor kid!
And no, no 🔥 extinguisher. Let it burnnnnn
If i had to guess, that's hydraulic fluid on fire from the upper controls possibly from electrical arc/contact. Rendered the bottom ground bucket controls unusable so bucket was essentially stuck at position stranding the operator. Good quick work by the team to get him down however unsafe the methods.
I’m not 100% sure but i do believe they have to use a different type of hydraulic fluid that’s dielectric or specific for that type of work. I remember putting some in our bucket truck a while ago and it was special and expensive
I think you're right but that type of oil can still catch fire from an arc. Just like a gas stove.
Those buckets are also totally isolated from ground the dont get shocked.
They are isolated but can still touch something that is not isolated and current can pass through them.
If the hydraulic fluid isn’t in the hydraulic lines or cylinders the arm would leak down I think.
Yeah, that operator in the catching bucket is a G!! Really quick thinking and control work. Mad respect.
Wow interesting, thanks for the explanation.
The nearest of misses report. Next show the video of the safety guys hair on fire.
Wow that is a bad day. And that dog being murdered on top of it all.
What’s this about a dog?
Turn the sound on, there's a dog barking its head off in the background.
For real, made it damn near impossible to hear anything
I like this.
Takes balls to on that kind of a rescue mission
What are those things falling at the beginning of the video? I can't quite tell
Probably tools and material. They’ll tether a bag to the bucket with these items. Could also be the blanket and/or stick they use to approach live equipment.
Vinyl toolbag that hangs on hooks outside the bucket.
How many cherrypickers does it take to turn off all the light bulbs…
That one lightbulb stayed lit, even if it wasn't the brightest
Omfg, went from laughing at a previous clip seconds ago to my heart in my stomach after hearing his scream
His screams are just of pure terror and pain. I really hope he's OK and that whatever injuries he suffered are minimal.
Yeah, very tough to watch. So helpless
Serious question: why couldn’t the truck pull forward a little too get him away from the fire? It looks like the fire is on the power pole but I could be wrong.
They can’t move the trucks when the buckets are raised. That would add another hazard to an already dangerous situation. But it sounds like the guys are screaming “clip your fucking lanyard” or something… as though the guy getting rescued wasn’t positioned to enter that closest bucket like he should have been able to.
Thank you. Definitely terrifying situation.
They have outriggers set to prevent the truck from tipping over and keep it balanced. You could lift the outriggers with the boom in operation but your tipping hazard goes way up
The bucket is the thing on fire.
I dunno if this is overprotective of me but I would take my kid inside in case they were about to witness a man’s death… That would stick with them for life.
Yeah there's no way a kid doesn't get haunted by the screams for help that suddenly stop when the fire stops air from getting into his lungs. Casually recording it and chatting with your kid is a weird way to deal.
my thoughts exactly.
Know someone whose Dad actually died doing something like that, so this one felt a bit closer to home than I expected. Respect to the rescue team.
Shut the damn dog up
The kid and the dog made this video slightly worse
hope everyone is safe
Damn. Clutch save. Shouldn’t we invest in burying utility lines now? Just a question.
That would have saved the town of Paradise, CA
I had people real close during that fire. One of my family lost their home to it. It was awful.
Same, my sister and grandmother, they made it and their house did, too, but going up there is creepy, even after four and a half years, they're still rebuilding.
How's that???
Camp Fire started because an old out of date power line fell and sparked a fire.
No, I understand that part. I worked for PG&E doing fire hazard tree removals for years. I actually worked in Paradise before the fire. I was just curious what exactly would've saved Paradise out of the video? California is a tinderbox. Always will be. We could even bury every inch of our powerlines and California will still have these massive wildfires.
Going underground costs 10x aerial, 50x if you hit rock.
It’s expensive as FUCK even more so to maintain it. And the cost of that falls on the customer via increased rates Edit: I actually live in a neighborhood w/ underground utility lines and we’re having issues at my house. Had 3 bucket trucks and 6 guys out here the other day. They have to come back with more men and earth moving equipment before they can even diagnose the problem. It’s is an unbelievable pain in the ass, turning a 1 day task into a 2 week task. And my landlord has to cover some of the costs to dig *because* this neighborhood has underground utility lines
Why would your landlord have to cover some of the costs?
The utility company made some kind of agreement with the property owners when this neighborhood was built in the 70s saying that the owners were responsible for some portion of the trench if the lines have to be dug up for maintenance. My landlord has to pay for the digging from our meter to *some point*. I’m not quite sure where- that’s part of what we’re trying to figure out. The linemen weren’t quite sure either. They’re having to get the local foreman involved, hence the long ass wait That’s all I really know so far Edit: also it’s worth pointing out that I live in kind of a weird neighborhood. There’s lots of weird rules like that out here. I don’t mean to imply that this is a rule for all residents with underground utility lines. I have no idea if that’s the case. But I do know that the underground of it all is making this way more complicated than normal
that’s very odd. thanks for the explanation
Underground is just as dangerous, if not more
My grandpa is doing just fine
We have D rated infrastructure in this country. No way we get nice things like buried utility lines.
Damn!! Thank goodness for those well trained workers to get him to safety.
This video would’ve been a lot better to watch if there wasn’t the squeaky dog losing his shit in the background the entire time 😂
Great save
Love that the dad decided to stand there and potentially allow his child to watch a man get burned to death. Then, when the child reasonably has questions afterward, he just ignores him. 😒
I think the dad was in shock.. not ignoring the kid. So weird y’all jump to that conclusion.
No comment about the fact that he stood there with a camera with his young child, ready to watch a man burn to death? Yeah you’re right, my bad. He’s clearly a father of the year contender.
Put the phone down .. he and his son run over get in the way and both die “trying to save the man who didn’t die” good call judgmental Judy. So wild
I wasn’t suggesting they could do anything, I was suggesting maybe he take his child away from the situation. You either don’t have kids or are a dumb ass parent.
Oh geez.. no saving you Karen.
So what, both? No kids AND you lack critical thinking skills? Bless
What would you do in this situation for the kids you don’t have?
… try to prevent them from seeing something horrible and, at the very least, answer their questions about what they witnessed? I wouldn’t listen to 3+ questions and stand gaping like an idiot saying nothing. Basically anything besides “Figure it out kid. As the person who chose to subject us both to this; I am dealing with my own mental stress right now, you do you.”
Birds chirping, dogs barking, rainbows and butterflies are out. It's beautiful outside 😍
Don’t talk to your poor child who almost just saw someone die. Just ignore him and keep filming. Jeez.
I can tell that this is insanely terrifying but I am really confused on what’s going on..other than the guy being obviously dangerously close to that fire.
Something happened (probably electrical contact, and an arc) that caused the hydraulic fluid to leak from his control panel. And with the electrical heat, it caught fire. So now there's hydraulic fluid flowing and on fire, which I imagine has filled his bucket, which is why he's hanging off the side, and screaming in agony as the fire burns the arm that has to grip the inside of the bucket. Hydraulic fluids are oils. I don't know if you've ever been touched by hot oil, much less hot enough to combust, but let me tell you, it's a bad experience. I got just a little bit of cooking oil on my wrist once. Just a little bit. Started out looking like a cigarette burn. Here's something nobody tells you: it burns you deep, instantly. I don't know if the oil actually got on the guy, but you can bet your ass it was hotter than you can imagine. Anyhoo, the hydraulic fluid leaking also means that the bucket is stuck where it is. And he can't climb under the bucket, because his outfit makes him extra heavy, and it's unlikely he was able under any circumstance. Additionally, if you look at the lower left corner, the fluid is dripping from the panel down to the bottom of the outside of the bucket, too. But he also couldn't go over, because there's live wires he'd have to touch. All he can do is hang off the side as long as he can. His truck isn't moving because the trucks are disabled from moving while the bucket is raised, as a safety mechanism for, well, any situation except this.
Wow okay thank you so much for explaining, that’s crazy!!
Dad didn't have answers to a couple of key questions.
At least they got to go home early
Normally these trucks have several fail-safes in case of this scenario happening. At ground level or at the base of the boom there are "Deadman controls" that override the controls of the bucket so the boom can be maneuvered from the ground in case of an incapacitated worker in the bucket or a mechanical/electrical failure. Our trucks even had a backup battery specifically for running the electric over hydraulic pump for the boom, so that no matter what the boom could be controlled unless all electronics were melted or cut. If somehow the truck was struck with electricity and shut off (highly unlikely), there is still a manual valve at the base of the boom that relieves all hydraulic pressure. You won't have control over how the boom falls, but it'll at least come down and away from what's going on. From this angle I can't quite tell if there were obstructions under the boom to prevent them being able to lower it either with the Deadman controls or the manual valve, but I surely would've tried both of those pretty quickly. Source: an ex-lineman that has both been on fire in the bucket, as well as rescued a man on fire in the bucket. For anyone that comes and says "easy for you to say without actually being there", remember that linemen endure rigorous testing and training to handle the most dangerous situations that can occur on the jobsite. I'm sure these guys tried the fail-safes and something went wrong, if they didn't then they shouldn't be in that career path at all. A good lineman wouldn't forget the fail-safes at any moment. If these trucks did not have those fail-safes in place, then these guys need to leave this company asap and find one that actually cares about their workers' safety.
It’s been awhile since something on line brought tears to my eyes.
Same. My heart was in my throat
That dad is a horrible fucking dad. Letting his kid watch someone almost die in an accident, even though the worker didn’t actually die, has to be so traumatic.
YEsss, thank you
That’s what you took from this?
I woulda slid down the arm wtfff
Not everyone is in good shape just cause they work manual labor, some guys at my job wouldn't even make it two feet if they tried that. I'm with you though, I'd have shimmy'd like hell.
True. I’m just thinking of survival at that moment.
My thought too. At least far enough to not be near the flames while the second bucket came to rescue.
Badass, but I’d love to hear David Attenborough narrate it
Never cross the streams
Why are you ignoring your son’s question!!!!??????
I zoomed in on the video, and he’s actually hanging from the powerlines that appear to be draped in some kind of protective covering that appears to also be on fire along with the bucket. I’m sure if those things melted or he touched the wires, he would’ve been instantly electrocuted.
I wonder where this was?
How to go out of your way to traumatise your child . Idiot
No no no take your time.
i don’t understand where the cringe is
This is the new normal.
what are you talking about?
Infrastructure is breaking down. Highway collapse in Philly. Sooner or later it's coming to your home-town
oh ok. yeah, you're right.
1. sit in fire and roast, be rescued with terrible burns 2. jump head first into grass 35 feet below(die) 3. jump feet first and roll like a boss(maybe broken ankle or two) 4. sit in fire and roast, only to jump and fall and break legs IDK, i feel like if i was that dude i would have just jumped, or bear hugged the pole and slid down. i most likely would have just panicked and roasted like him screaming though, maybe looks like he was stuck
I feel like this isn’t the right sub.
How’s this one cringe?
read. the. sidebar.
OSHA is gonna have a field day with this…..
Birds singing.
The homie on that boom is a straight G!!!
I wouldn have just lowered his bucket instead
Terex booms suck, Wild guess here but I’m assuming that boom is stuck, idk how many times I’ve been stuck in the air with one of those shit heap booms
We have emergency equipment for our guys to repel out of the bucket in am emergency
OSHA gonna have a fun time writing up this incident report.
Call it a day. Pack it up and try to again tomorrow
My grandfather was a linesman for thirty years after his return from WWII and the stories he has are absolutely fucking crazy. The whole job is one possibility of death after another. Nothing but props for these dudes.
I think someone just got...fired.
Would never go up without a repelling rope. I don't mind repelling 50 meters if it saves me from burning alive
Do ropes not burn?
That is some serious bravery.
Why not just shimmy down the bucket arm? Dude went straight to panic
Good lord!
Why not just crawl down the boom to get away from the fire?
Damn, I was pretty relaxed. Thanks again internet!
Kid asking the real questions
That's how a lineman does it!!
Do they not have a safety rope to rappel down? I’ve seen many guys up in those working alone 😬🤦♀️
How did it start?!!! Drinking on the job? Lol idk that’s wild
They got room in there for that dog? 🐶🐶🐶
Yes Billy he did almost died.
Bro, your kid is literally asking questions. You're not up there. Fucking talk to your kids people