Electrocuted Birds Exploding Into Wildfires
In the last couple of decades, the number of wildfires has increased exponentially, and many believe that the main culprit is global warming. While rising temperatures do have an impact on the number of wildfires that happen throughout the year, researchers have discovered yet another cause of wildfires: electrocuted birds on power lines falling into the brush.
Everybody’s Heard ‘Bout The Flaming Bird
No, we’re not talking about the legendary Phoenix that dies in a shower of flames only to rise again from its own ashes. We’re talking about birds that have been electrocuted, their flaming carcasses falling off the power lines and causing wildfires, not just across the US but also in other parts of the world. A study found that flaming bird carcasses caused 44 wildfires in the US between 2014 and 2018 alone, and the phenomenon even got its own name—avian-caused ignition.
Bird Fire By Proxy
The way birds cause wildfires is simple: an unsuspecting bird will sit on an overhead power line, get electrocuted, and its flaming feathers will cause a fire to the nearby flammable material. Now, this actually isn’t so common, and you might’ve noticed that birds sit on top of power lines, even high-voltage ones, without any issue because as long as the bird touches only one wire, there’s no voltage difference that would cause the electricity to go travel through the bird’s body. However, there are exceptions to this, which is precisely how birds cause wildfires.
Completing The Circuit
A bird touching two wires simultaneously generates a difference in voltage, which is enough to not just electrocute the bird and set it ablaze—thus causing a wildfire—but it can actually disintegrate smaller birds completely.
Admittedly, that’s a very unlikely scenario in high-voltage power lines, which often have a minimum clearance distance of 10 to 45 feet. However, touching a wire and a grounded object, such as an arrester cap, completes the circuit and provides the path for electricity to flow. But why would a bird touch an arrester cap?
Flaming Feathers Under Arrest
Well, insects like to get inside arrester caps, as they often provide dark and warm environments for them to lay their eggs, and birds like to feast on said insects. An unsuspecting bird might just look for a quick snack, but it completes the circuit between the power line and an arrest or cap, which electrocutes the bird and sets its feathers on fire.
The flaming bird carcass will then fall into the nearby bush or some other flammable material, causing the wildfire—especially since most power lines go across fields and forests.
Proposed Solutions
According to the study lead, biologist Taylor Barnes, the area of the California coast has the highest density of bird wildfires, and he advised the authorities to look into modifying power poles in a way that would prevent these electrocutions.
Considering just how devastating wildfires are, not just for the immediate environment and the humans surrounding it, but for the entire planet, modifying the power poles seems like a good investment to keep the birds from causing wildfires and keep the forests and other fire-prone areas fire-free.
Source: The Wildlife Society
