A Fish Fell from the Sky, Causing a Forest Fire and Power Outage in Canada: A Story So Bizarre It Had to Be True

On July 30th, a small forest fire suddenly erupted near the village of Ashcroft in British Columbia, Canada. At first glance, it seemed like just another brush fire in the midst of a hot, dry summer — until investigators revealed the cause. It wasn’t due to a careless camper, faulty equipment, or even a lightning strike. The fire was started… by a falling fish.

Yes — a fish. Falling. From. The sky.

As absurd as it sounds, this surreal chain of events has been officially confirmed by the Ashcroft Fire Department and utility engineers from BC Hydro. Their final report concluded that a fish, dropped from mid-air, triggered a spark that led to a wildfire covering more than 4,000 square meters.

How It Happened

According to the investigation, a hawk flying overhead had been carrying its prey — a fish, presumably caught from a river roughly 3.2 kilometers away. For reasons still unknown, the hawk dropped the fish mid-flight. In a stroke of bizarre luck (or misfortune), the fish struck a power line.

The impact caused an electrical arc — sparks flew, falling into the dry grass below. With temperatures soaring and the vegetation crisp from weeks of heat, the flames caught quickly and spread over the forest floor.

Thanks to the swift response of the Ashcroft Fire Department, local ranchers, and technicians from BC Hydro, the fire was contained before it reached homes or larger forested areas. The total burned area was estimated at about 4,000 square meters.

A Rare Natural Mishap

After ruling out human involvement, such as camping activity or malfunctioning equipment, the fire investigators discovered the charred remains of a fish directly beneath the power line. No other ignition sources were found.

“This was one of the strangest origin points we’ve ever documented,” said a spokesperson from the Ashcroft Fire Department. “It wasn’t lightning, it wasn’t arson, and it certainly wasn’t intentional. It was a case of nature throwing us a curveball — literally.”

As a result of the incident, a temporary power outage occurred in Ashcroft, a village of over 1,500 residents located about 338 km northeast of Vancouver. The outage was caused by the short-circuit triggered when the fish struck the wires. Power was restored after a few hours.

The “Main Suspect” Still at Large

When asked about the bird, firefighters responded playfully: “Our prime suspect is unharmed and still flying freely.” The tongue-in-cheek comment quickly spread across social media, with many joking that the hawk had committed “arson by air.”

One theory posits that the hot weather on July 30th may have exhausted the hawk mid-flight, causing it to drop its catch. Another possibility is that it was startled or caught in a gust of wind. Either way, the outcome was both unfortunate and unprecedented.

A Serious Message in a Strange Story

While the event may seem comical, it serves as a stark reminder of how unpredictable nature can be — especially in an era of rising temperatures and increasingly volatile weather patterns. A single fish, in just the right place at the wrong time, ignited a fire that could have escalated much further without a quick emergency response.

In a world grappling with climate change, droughts, and record-breaking heatwaves, even the most improbable causes can spark real consequences. The “flying fish fire” of Ashcroft may be one in a million — but it won’t be the last time nature surprises us.

And Finally…

Although the flames are gone and the power is back, this fire has secured its place in local history as one of the strangest wildfires ever recorded. From now on, when discussing fire risks in British Columbia, there might just be a new item added to the list — beware of falling fish.