In one of the most bizarre wildfire causes of the summer, firefighters in western Canada say a fish-dragging osprey may be to blame for a brush fire near Ashcroft, British Columbia, after the bird apparently dropped its catch onto power lines, sparking flames on the dry grass below, according to the Associated Press.
The blaze broke out on July 30, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) south of Ashcroft. When investigators arrived, they found the source: a charred fish lying on scorched earth, just beneath the power lines.
According to the Ashcroft Fire Rescue, their theory is as wild as it is plausible: the osprey, exhausted by the heat and the size of its catch, may have released the fish mid-flight, right onto hydro lines. The embers that followed ignited the grass below.
“Another suspicion could be that it’s tired of raw fish and wanted to give cooked a try,” the department joked in a tongue-in-cheek social media post, adding humor to the otherwise dry (and fiery) situation.
The post also confirmed that the “prime suspect sustained no injuries in the incident.”
The incident caused a temporary power outage in Ashcroft, but no injuries were reported. Firefighters and local ranchers used about 4,800 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.
While the fire was brought under control quickly, the story has since gone viral for its surreal chain of events: a tired bird, a big fish, extreme heat — and power lines in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The fire occurred about 3 kilometers (2 miles) west of the nearest river, where officials believe the osprey first caught the fish. The bird likely began flying inland before the weight and heat forced it to let go — directly above the power lines.
Sometimes, it seems, Mother Nature has a wicked sense of irony — or an unexpected appetite for grilled seafood.
