Warren family says tree limbs left on power lines after DTE restoration raise safety concerns

A Warren, Michigan, man says that although his power has been restored after last week's storms, he believes a dangerous problem remains in his backyard.

Derek Vanden Esschert said his family was without electricity throughout the Fourth of July holiday weekend after a tree branch fell and knocked out power. 

"I saw the tree branch rip off and the power went out right after that," Vanden Esschert said.

He said multiple DTE Energy crews spent Monday at his home cutting branches, replacing a utility pole and restoring electricity.

"We were so happy," he said. "But it was getting dark around 9:30 (p.m.), so we didn't peek outside."

The next morning, Vanden Esschert said he discovered large tree limbs still hanging on and resting across electrical lines in his backyard.

"I'm kind of worried about my dogs getting electrocuted, especially if it rains this weekend," he said. "We don't want to pay $300 or $400 for someone to come out. They [DTE crews] had the manpower, that's the problem."

Vanden Esschert said he believes the debris should have been removed while crews were already working to restore power.

"If you're cutting and clearing the lines, making sure the power stays on, I feel like you should remove everything," said Cortez Wright, who owns a local tree removal business. "If there's another windstorm, that's going to affect the power going off again."

Wright said that complaints like Vanden Esschert's are not uncommon.

"Customers call us and tell us DTE cut half the tree, then just left the debris like it's not their responsibility," Wright said. "In my eyes, it is their responsibility."

Vanden Esschert said he contacted DTE about the branches but was told debris removal was not part of the crews' responsibilities. He said he also contacted the city of Warren, which directed him back to DTE.

"We had a couple of guys come out and said, 'Sorry, that's not in our policy. We're just supposed to get the power back up,'" Vanden Esschert said.

Vanden Esschert said he has started cleaning up what he can, but does not understand why the branches were left hanging.

"I figured they'd come back the next morning and clean all of it up," he said.

Shortly after CBS News Detroit contacted DTE seeking answers about Vanden Esschert's concerns, a crew arrived at the home within about two hours. Vanden Esschert said that the crew is expected to return on Friday morning.

"I'm sure we're not the only ones that have backyards that look like this," he said. "We're just disappointed and shocked they didn't clean anything."