Canadian firefighters have detained a bird of prey for questioning after it dropped a fish on a power line, causing a fire, the Ashcroft Fire and Rescue Service in British Columbia reported.
According to a post on the service's Facebook page, firefighters responded to a small fire in a field six kilometers south of Ashcroft on Wednesday. After extinguishing the flames, service officials conducted a quick investigation and determined that the fire was caused by a fish dropped by a bird of prey. The fish was caught in a river about three kilometers from the incident, but the slippery prey slipped from the feathered predator's talons as it flew over the power line. As the fish fell, it touched the wire, and the sparks that flew over it landed on dry grass and caused a fire.
“The suspected osprey was captured and is being held for questioning. A judge has not approved bail because there is an extremely high risk the suspect will fly away,“ the department said in a statement.
As firefighters suspect, the bird dropped its catch due to fatigue, which was exacerbated by the heat. In addition, the predator may have misjudged its strength, catching a fish that was too large to carry far in its then-current state.
“Or maybe it got bored of eating raw fish and wanted to try fried fish“, joke the firefighters.
The publication emphasizes that the osprey, unlike the fish, was not injured.