Transmission lines don't start forest fires unless...maintenance clearing of tree growth is prohibited or lines are so overloaded they heat up and extend down into the trees (such as moving thousands of megawatts through a line designed for 600 megawatts). Both causes can work together (tall trees and sagging overloaded lines) and are common occurrences in the Western and Eastern grids where power is often moved over thousands of miles.
Exactly my, and van Schaik's, point. Mass EV means huge increases in electric demand, which for solar & wind means remote locations & hence very long transmission lines & right of ways.
The investor in me sees opportunities in home generators, as otherwise cars cannot be recharged during outages. For a prospective land or pond owner, I'd advise care be taken to stay away from probable transmission line routes. As in California, once many large right of ways begin to fragment wildlife along thousands of miles, environmentalists will insist on minimal tree clearing & disruption.
