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Bird believed to have sparked 10,000-acre fire

A bird's nest that arced across power lines is being blamed for A 10,000-acre in Idaho.
A bird's nest that arced across power lines is being blamed for A 10,000-acre in Idaho.

GEM COUNTY, Idaho (

KTVB

) - A bird likely started a grass fire that was burning several thousand acres Thursday night northeast of Emmett.

The fire started off Idaho 52 at mile marker 43, between Emmett and Horseshoe Bend. It's north of the highway and about two miles west of Sweet.

The Bureau of Land Management estimated the fire was burning around 10,000 acres of grass and brush as of around 9:30 p.m.

The fire was threatening structures in the Spring Creek Road area Thursday night, the BLM said, and it was also burning toward Squaw Butte.

The BLM was not aware of any structures that had been lost as of around 9:30, and there were no injuries reported.

The BLM believes that a bird possibly had a nest at the top of a power line structure and arced a few lines - basically electrocuting itself.

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