Experts Say Birds Are Catching on Fire on Power Lines and Starting Wildfires

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Exploding limbs, burning plumage, bodily water cells immediately turned to steam is a terrible way to go.

Birds that fall to the ground after being shocked by a power line can cause deadly fires. A group of researchers in Colorado published their findings in the journal Wildlife Society Bulletin in June and the New York Times followed up with more information about the fowl play.

Electric Slide

The team estimated that at least 44 fires in the US were caused by birds in the last four years. The hawk and its prey fell to the ground after colliding with electric lines and catching fire.

After the fire was out, the hawk was still holding its prize.

The team says that it would cost less to clean up after a forest fire than it would to burn down a house.

Infrastructure changes to the electric grid, which spans a staggering 700,000 miles of power lines and 150 million utility poles, would need to be incredibly effective andScalable. The Colorado researchers told the New York Times that better insulation and strategically placed boxes might be able to make a difference.

The Supreme Court gave power plants green light topollute as much as they want.