Burning bird falls from wire in Germany, torches dry field

BERLIN – Police say a burning bird falling from an overhead electric line set fire to a field in northern Germany that was parched by dry weather, torching some 7 hectares (17 acres) of land.

Police in the Baltic Sea port city of Rostock said witnesses reported that the bird caused a short-circuit in a railway power line and fell to the ground in flames. The neighbouring field then caught fire, and more than 50 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze on Tuesday evening.

Farmers in northeastern Germany have been complaining of the effects of a persistent lack of rain over the past two months.