Mikesh, you've hit on something here ... as has 'electure' with his comments. This is: the failure to respond appropriately to an emergency situation.
To respond properly, first you have to recognize that there IS an emergency. Then you have to determine that it is your place to act. Then you have to take the right action.
I don't think the folks who watched this fire had the slightest clue as to what was hapening. Certainly none of them fully appriciated the gazillion or so watts of powere that were flowing .... or that power lines are not on circuit breakers like the ones in our homes. You can see one guy rather near the base of the tree; obviously he does not understand 'stray current.'
In the exerpt I posted (from the news story), it is also clear that the 911 operator did not have a full appreciation of the problem. All I can say is: don't be afraid to call again! Also, don't be afraid to argue or be blunt.
As an example, I had a customer call me to a building where the service mast was pulling off the building, had separated from the meter can, and the conductors were damaged. I had some difficulty getting the PoCo to respond; finally I told them bluntly that the next call would be from the Fire Department, when those feeders shorted out. I got my response, and repairs were made inside of 20 minutes of the troubleman's arrival. Don't be afraid to push when you have to.
