Turkeys weren’t the only birds that turned out well-done this holiday.
A seagull that made contact with live power lines while standing atop a James Bay hydro pole was electrocuted, causing a fire at the top of the pole Thursday morning.
B.C. Hydro temporarily disconnected power to the area, so that Victoria firefighters could douse the fire.
“The contact between the wire and the wood kept going. It eventually burned the bird and ignited the top of the power pole,” acting fire captain Oscar Pohl said.
The seagull likely stretched its wings while standing on the pole, grounding it and causing the electrocution, Pohl said.
Victoria firefighters responded to the call at the corner of Niagara and South Turner streets about 10 a.m., but had to wait for B.C. Hydro to deactivate power before hosing down the small fire.
The power outage spanned Clarence Street to Douglas Street, and Niagara Street to Dallas Road, said Hydro foreman Alex Wright. It affected about 990 households between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Smoke wafted from the top of the pole, at the corner of Niagara and South Turner streets, where the bird’s body was stuck with a partially outstretched wing before falling to the ground about 12:45 pm.
Pohl couldn’t estimate how many birds are electrocuted per year, but said it’s a common occurrence.
“It’s more often than you think. The difference is, in this case, that the bird made contact with the power line and the pole. I’ve never actually been to one where it stayed up there and roasted itself.”
B.C. Hydro workers planned to reframe the pole with a new crossarm and top the pole with new wood, Wright said.
Pohl said there was no immediate danger to nearby homes and the fire shouldn’t go down the lines.
“It smells like barbecued chicken over there,” one Hydro worker said.
