HOUSTON — A tree that has grown into powerlines in the Heights has residents worried. They're stuck in a back-and-forth with CenterPoint and the fire department and just want the fire hazard handled.
One neighbor said she knows she's not alone and has called CenterPoint multiple times. The fire department even came out to look at the situation, but so far, nothing has been done.
It’s a problem residents said they're having -- trees getting too close to live electrical wires.
"I just kept watching and it was smoking and buzzing," Amanda Schneider said.
Schneider, a Heights resident, said it started Tuesday.
"During the storm, we weren’t home, everyone was texting us (that) this tree was on fire sparking everywhere," Schneider said.
So she called the fire department and firefighters came out to look at it.
"They came and said, 'We can't do anything unless it's engulfed in flames and because its so wet, it may put itself out,'" Schneider said.
They told her to call CenterPoint, but she said CenterPoint told her to call the fire department.
"It felt a little like ping-ponging the problem," Schneider said.
She's not alone in getting the runaround. People on social media were left asking their neighbors who they should call.
"A lack of responsibility on who is going to handle these things, especially in a city that is so vulnerable," Schneider said.
KHOU 11 News reached out the Houston Fire Department, which said they aren't responsible for cutting trees that are too close to powerlines. We also reached out to CenterPoint Energy, which in a statement said:
"CenterPoint Energy is responsible for addressing sparking lines. The customer should call 713-207-2222. Our customer service will take the report, provide safety information and a crew will be dispatched to the customer’s location as soon as possible to address their concern. If a customer tells our customer service that a tree or vegetation is on fire, our customer service team will suggest to the customer to call 911."
It's something Schneider hopes it doesn't come to.
"My biggest concern is that a fire starting, I think with this area being devastated, it would put people in a situation that would not be good," Schneider said.
After KHOU 11 contacted CenterPoint, they sent someone to look at the tree. Schneider said they told her they'd be back to trim the branches.