Charred fish sparks fire in Canada after bird drops it on power line

This handout image courtesy of Ashcroft Fire Rescue shows a scorched area off the east side of Highway 1 near Ashcroft, British Columbia, on the spot where a fire ignited after an osprey dropped a fish on to a power line, igniting the dry grass below, the fire department said, speculating the bird may have dropped its catch because it was tired from the excess heat on July 30. Photo / AFP

Firefighters who found a charred fish at a fire in western Canada believe a tired bird may be to blame for sparking flames.

The fire department in Ashcroft, British Columbia, was called to respond to a heavy fire about 6km south of the town on July 30.

“A quick investigation revealed the cause of this fire. It was determined to be a fish.

“Yes, you read that right, the fish had an incredible journey,” the department said in a Facebook post.

The nearest river is 3km away, but investigators determined the fish was scooped up by an osprey, which then dropped it on to a power line mid-flight.

Sparks from the disrupted line ignited the dry grass below, the department said, speculating the bird may have dropped its catch because it was tired from the excess heat.

“Or another suspicion could be that it’s tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try,” the department joked.

The fish was thoroughly charred after the incident but Ashcroft’s fire department said the osprey sustained no injuries.

The fire was extinguished without further incident.

– Agence France-Presse