Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

listen live donate
listen live donate
listen live
donate
  • News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    News
    • News

    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
    Music
    • Music

    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic

    • Daily Playlist
  • Podcasts & Shows
  • Schedules
  • Events
  • Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
    Support
    • Support
    • Ways to support
    • Evergreen Donation
    • One-Time Donation
    • Corporate Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Giving
    • Legacy Giving
    • Endowment Support
    • Members
    • Member Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • Member Newsletter

    • Fund drives
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Environment
  •  

Could A Phone App Help Prevent California Wildfires?

  •  Ezra David Romero 
Monday, August 10, 2020 | Sacramento, CA
Courtesy of University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources

Ph.D. student Mike Johnson uses Evalutree to assess the health and economic value of oak woodlands.

Courtesy of University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources

Some of California’s largest wildfires in recent history were started when trees or branches fell on power lines. As a result, a judge this week ordered PG&E to increase power line inspections, upgrade records of equipment used and to hire more tree-trimmer supervisors. 

All the while, a scientist says he has a solution for tracking problem trees, which in turn could prevent wildfires.

Matteo Garbelotto, a University of California Cooperative Extension forest pathology specialist based at UC Berkeley, has developed a tool to tell if a tree is healthy. He named the app “Evalutree.”

“It's not that the app is miraculous,” he said. “It won't predict precisely what's going to happen, but it will help you manage and you will justify your actions better.”

He came up with the idea because agencies, like PG&E, were using “pencil and paper” to track tree health, a method he says is not efficient. 

"Using a tablet or phone, the data could be shipped directly, in real time, to the San Francisco office,” he said. “Using a phone or GPS device, you will know the precise location of the tree and know the worker did the job. If there’s a fire, you have proof."

In response, he says the PG&E Corporation Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the utility, gave him a $70,000 grant to develop the app.

With his tracking app, surveyors would log information like whether a tree is leaning towards a line, has any visible obvious signs of internal decay or if there are any wounds on the outside of the tree. 

"If there is a mushroom or conk growing on the tree, that portion of the tree is dead and the branch or whole tree may fall down,” he said.

Once the data is collected, his system rates the trees — purple being the most at-risk and green being the least.

He says PG&E isn’t using the exact app he created, but is using the technology and information he created for their own process. Garbelotto says now the app is sort of an open-source product that can be altered to an agency’s needs. 

"The tool will provide benefits for other utilities and the forestry industry as they work to create safe and healthy forests," Stephanie Isaacson, director of community relations for PG&E, said in a release.

Garbelotto says the app could be specialized for cities and companies that manage trees. It could even be used for campgrounds or parks to calculate the risk of a tree falling, which have killed campers in places like Yosemite National Park. 

“This could be very easily used by a city to red-flag older trees that need to be taken care of,” he said. “That's what I'm hoping is going to happen.”

The tool has already changed the work of UC Berkeley Ph.D students like Michael Johnson, who relied on pencil and paper as well when evaluating tree species. Johnson studies forest pathology and says Evalutree has simplified his work. 

"We would spend weeks doing data entry, trying to make out the scrawled numbers and notes,” he said. “At the end of the day … we simply upload all of our surveys for the day, and I immediately have my data and reports in multiple formats.” 


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  
Was this story useful?
yes
no

Will you help us improve our fires coverage? Head to our wildfire survey page to tell us what you think.

    More about wildfire

  • Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

    California Wildfires: Latest Updates

    CapRadio provides the latest information and updates on wildfires hitting the state, and resources for listeners to help prepare, follow and respond to fire.

 wildfire

Ezra David Romero

Former Environment Reporter

Ezra David Romero is a former Environment Reporter at CapRadio.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Environment Stories

Andrew Nixon/CapRadio

Another atmospheric river brings more rain, wind and snow to Northern California

March 28, 2023

AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File

California announces a rollback of some state drought restrictions

March 24, 2023

Most Viewed

Sacramento plans to debut hundreds of tiny homes. Will they help people move off the streets?

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Assembly approves oil profit penalty bill, sending it to Newsom

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

The Sacramento Kings could clinch a spot in the playoffs Monday night. Here’s how.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Sacramento plans to debut hundreds of tiny homes. Will they help people move off the streets?

State may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyers

Assembly approves oil profit penalty bill, sending it to Newsom

10 new California laws that go into effect in 2023

The Sacramento Kings could clinch a spot in the playoffs Monday night. Here’s how.

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    •  
      (916) 278-8900
    •  
      (877) 480-5900
    •  Contact / Feedback
    •  Submit a Tip / Story Idea
  • About

    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Stations & Coverage Map
    • Careers & Internships
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Press
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile Apps
    • Smart Speakers
    • Podcasts & Shows
    • On-Air Schedules
    • Daily Playlist
    • Signal Status
  • Connect

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen Live

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2023, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.