Electrocuted bear cubs fall from power pole, ignite fire

BANNING, Calif. – Southern California fire officials say a brush fire was ignited when two bear cubs climbed a power pole, were electrocuted by high-voltage lines and their burning bodies fell to the ground.

Riverside County firefighters responded at 1:46 a.m. Tuesday to the blaze in Banning. They stopped the fire’s spread at 1 1/2 acres.

The mother bear and another cub were in the area while 63 firefighters worked the blaze, but they were not considered a threat.

State Fish and Wildlife authorities were called to deal with the dead cubs.