Electrocuted Squirrel Starts Grass Fire

AP/Yahoo ^ | Mon Oct 31, 7:06 PM ET

[martin_fierro]

Electrocuted Squirrel Starts Grass Fire

Mon Oct 31, 7:06 PM ET

BYRAM, Miss. - An electric lineman believes a squirrel started a grass fire Monday after the critter was electrocuted and fell from a power line onto parched ground.

It's been more than a month since significant amounts of rain have fallen in central Mississippi, though some showers were expected late Monday. Burn bans are in effect in this Jackson suburb and many other nearby communities.

Passing motorists saw a flash and heard a loud pop, then saw ashes falling from the power line. The spark ignited a grassfire, which spread to nearby pine trees and charred a fence. Byram volunteer firefighters responded within minutes.

An Entergy lineman arrived as the flames were extinguished and found the probable cause of the fire — the squirrel's charred body.

One of the motorists, Calvin Russell told Jackson's WLBT-TV: "I'm a country boy, so I'm thinking dinner time."

[martin_fierro]

Zzzzzzot

[martin_fierro]

Zing!

[kingattax]

[Clemenza]

Two electrified squirrels cause a power outage in a neighboring dorm when I was an undergrad. It was not pleasent for the guys at ConEd to clean it up.

[Charles Henrickson]

Rocky the Frying Squirrel.

[martin_fierro]

It was not pleasent for the guys at ConEd to clean it up.

With spelling like that, I hope you were one of the ConEd guys.

< |:)~

[Clemenza]

Remember Martin, I am a member of the SPELLCHECK generation.

[SquirrelKing]

Alas, Darwin Awards are popular in the Squirrel Kingdom, too.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Keyed into FOX News for this one. If it ain't on FOX it didn't happen.

[martin_fierro]

Apparently there's some demand for glowing solar-powered squirrels.

Is this a great country, or what.

[Graybeard58]

I see them walking the power lines in my neighborhood all the time. What keeps them from being zotted?

[irishtenor]

Tiny little insulated rubber booties.

[YankeeinOkieville]

I see them walking the power lines in my neighborhood all the time. What keeps them from being zotted?

First you must understand that the goal of electricity is to find the ground. It will follow the path of least resistance to get there.

While the squirrels are "walking the power lines" the electrical current flows through the insulated wires as detouring through the animals would cost rather than conserve energy. It is only when the little beasts are touching the wire and, say a power pole that they complete the circuit and allows the electricity to flow to the ground in a shorter path than continuing across the wires, through the substation into your house and to the ground.

[YankeeinOkieville]

from the article: "It's been more than a month since significant amounts of rain have fallen in central Mississippi"

Masters of the understatement?

[Graybeard58]

It is only when the little beasts are touching the wire and, say a power pole

I kind of understood that but they have to touch both every time they get on the wire don't they? Or do they climb to the top of the pole and leap to the wire without touching both at the same time?

I suspect that it's because of the insulation you mentioned that they don't get shocked every time

[YankeeinOkieville]

"Or do they climb to the top of the pole and leap to the wire without touching both at the same time"

Sometimes this is the case. Have you ever seen them run? Quite often all 4 legs are off the ground at once. Or climb a tree or fence post? the first step is often a hop to get onto the vertical surface. As for getting from the pole to the wire, even if they step (rather than hop) onto the wire, those wires that go through neighborhoods are covered with insulation. There's a little break in the insulation where wires that run to individual buildings connect into the supply line at the pole. The animals would have to touch the small bare area of the wire and the pole at the same time to complete the circuit and get zapped.

[Sundog]

I want one.

Thanks.

[Rebelbase]

Pre-cooked squirrel. How did I miss this one!

Bump!