Bird Dropping Fish Sparks Power Outage in British Columbia

An unusual incident led to a power outage affecting over 1,500 residents in a small town in British Columbia. Early Friday noon, an osprey captured a fish from a nearby river roughly two miles away. While flying overhead near Ashcroft, the bird accidentally dropped the fish onto power lines, causing sparks that ignited a small fire on dry grass.

Emergency responders, including local ranchers and personnel from the Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, acted swiftly. Using 4,800 gallons of water, they managed to contain and extinguish the fire, preventing further spread. Despite their efforts, the blaze temporarily disrupted electricity in Ashcroft, a community with around 1,500 people located about 200 miles northeast of Vancouver.

Responders dumping water on the fire — Firefighters poured 4,800 gallons of water to put out the fire caused by sparks from the fallen fish.

Upon investigation, authorities found a charred fish at the scene. They believe the osprey had recently caught the fish from the river and, perhaps exhausted or distracted, dropped it onto the power lines, leading to the fire.

Fire outbreak near Vancouver — The fire occurred about 200 miles northeast of Vancouver, in British Columbia.

Fire officials joked that the osprey’s tired or perhaps seeking a cooked snack, dropped its catch onto the power lines, causing the incident. They speculated that the bird’s fatigue from the hot day might have contributed to the accidental drop.