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Bird on a Wire
updated: Mar 02, 2013, 8:52 PM
By the Urban Hikers
Disclaimer: This story includes the description of a starling who died as
the result of a high voltage accident. One of the photos accompanying
this story shows the deceased bird. Do not scroll to the last photo if you
do not wish to see the dead bird.
At approximately 3:45 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, an English Starling
flew into the wiring around an Edison transformer on Castillo Street
below Anapamu Street, causing it to explode and short out. Sadly, the
starling didn't survive the high voltage encounter.
As reported by Roger the Scanner Guy, a fire and damage to a nearby
car resulted. It appears the ceramic insulator near the top of the power
pole on the transformer exploded, raining down parts of the wiring and
insulator. A parked car directly below the power pole was impacted by
the falling debris. In addition, the sidewalk planter adjacent to the car
was also damaged by the falling fragments. The juniper in the planter
caught fire, but was quickly extinguished by two resourceful
pedestrians. The men, who were in their 20's or 30's, used the garden
hose from a nearby home to put out the flames. In all, the fire extended
into an area of approximately three feet by ten feet. A neighbor reported
that the flames reached approximately 8 feet high before they were
extinguished.
The car, a Mazda sedan with Washington State plates, suffered two
shattered windows and dents on the body of the car. The driver's side
mirror was also melted.
Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded with Engine #1.
Firefighters investigated and contacted Edison, waiting on scene for
about one and a half hours until an Edison representative arrived. Santa
Barbara Police Department officers were also on scene for public safety
and traffic control.
Power was out in the surrounding area, and we aren't sure when it will
be restored.
Luckily no one other than the starling was injured in this potentially
hazardous situation.
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