When Eden Fire and Rescue NSW services arrived at a grass fire in Eden on Thursday afternoon, they soon knew who the culprit was.
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A magpie that shocked itself between two high-voltage wires shot to the ground and started a grass fire about 1pm near Blue Ridge Hardwoods saw mill in the north of town.
Strong coastal winds panned the fire, which required the seven FRNSW firefighters to act urgently.
“Conditions weren’t favourable,” acting fire captain Paul Kirkby said.
No structures came under threat as Eden Rural Fire Service assisted Eden FRNSW with the fire.
Some nearby residents lost power but no one was injured.
It’s not the first time a bird on a wire had started a fire after a swan flew into power lines near the same area two years ago.
Eden and surrounding areas have experienced dry conditions of late.
Rainfall across the region was “very much below average” in July according to the Bureau of Meteorology, while soil moisture was also very much below average.
BoM states daytime temperatures were warmer than average over large parts of the country in June and July, with clear skies and dry, warm air leading to unusually high evaporation rates for winter in many areas.
