In the past two months alone, the flaming carcasses of electrocuted birds have ignited at least three wildfires in Colorado.
While the phenomenon sounds straight out of a cartoon, it’s actually more common than you’d think. It’s a big enough problem that electric utility companies brainstorm efforts to mitigate bird electrocution.
The fuseable link in this case is the bird, as soon as it catches fire and falls down. There is no longer a current path.
And there’s reclosers all over, because black start is usually worse.