Burning Bird Torches 17 Acres of Land

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 17 acres of land, the AP reports. Police in the Baltic Sea port city of Rostock say witnesses reported that the bird caused a short-circuit in a railway power line and fell to the ground in flames. The neighboring 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. (More Germany stories.)