Avoid Lightning Strikes

Although not a common problem, lightning strikes have devastating effects. The main areas that suffer from strikes are areas of high ground. This is often exacerbated by tall growing trees, which tend to throw their canopy above all surroundings and therefore present themselves as a convenient water-based target for the lightning strike to boil and explode.

Trees commonly affected include: Douglas fir, giant redwood, larch, cedar, coastal redwood, Lawsons cypress and Western red cedar. These tall growing trees are instantly recognizable in the landscape and usually grow beyond the surrounding vegetation and built environment.

The installation of a tree lightning protection system is simple and very cost effective. The process is similar to lightning system installations on buildings.  But in this case, climbers navigate their way through the canopy to install the most appropriate copper based system.

The effects of a lightning strike on a tree are simply catastrophic. The cell contents of most plants contain water and the lightning surge boils those contents quickly to a point where they instantly explode, reigning debris everywhere. Tree lightning protecting systems are a highly effective way to protect high-risk trees.