Overview

• On July 30, an osprey dropped a fish onto a BC Hydro power line about 6 kilometres south of Ashcroft, igniting nearly half a hectare of dry grass.
• Firefighters from Ashcroft Fire Rescue teamed with BC Hydro crews and local ranchers to extinguish the flames using roughly 4,800 gallons of water.
• The blaze cut electricity for about 1,500 residents before service was fully restored by midday the following day.
• Investigators discovered a charred fish at the ignition site and confirmed that the osprey escaped uninjured and remains at large.
• The incident highlights how wildlife behavior and drought-stressed landscapes can combine to threaten rural infrastructure.