[TowerTalk] Power lines, hawks, and fire ignition (slightly off-topic)

[Crawfish]

Depending on barometric pressure, it takes anywhere from 20 kV to 75 kV to
jump an inch.

Joe W4AAB( new member on list)
----- Original Message -----
From: Keith Dutson <kjdutson at earthlink.net>
To: TowerTalk <towertalk at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 12:45 PM
Subject: RE: [TowerTalk] Power lines, hawks,and fire ignition (slightly
off-topic)


> I saw that on the news this morning and figured it must be a joke.  Or,
> maybe the political news is getting so stale that they dreamed up another
> sensational story. :)
>
> AFAIK it takes about one million volts to jump an inch arc in air at STP.
> However, once a path is established, such as ionized air, the required
> potential drops drastically.  Perhaps the bird hit one line and left a
trail
> of blood in the air to a second line whereby the arc could form.
>
> Keith
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:towertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bill VanAlstyne
> Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 11:54 AM
> To: _Mailing List Tower-Talk
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Power lines, hawks,and fire ignition (slightly
> off-topic)
>
> I couldn't help but wonder at this snippet from an AP newswire article in
> this morning's paper regarding how the Santa Clarita wildfire in
California
> supposedly started: "[The wildfire] was ignited when a red-tailed hawk
flew
> into a power line, was electrocuted and fell, burning, into brush."
>
> I know some of you guys on this list are extremely knowledgeable about the
> basic physics of electromagnetism. Could somebody please explain how a
> single high-tension AC wire can ignite a hawk? (Yuck.) Where does the
> current flow -- I mean, between what and what?
>
> Bill / W5WVO
> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
> Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with
any
> questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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> _______________________________________________
>
> See: http://www.mscomputer.com  for "Self Supporting Towers", "Wireless
Weather Stations", and lot's more.  Call Toll Free, 1-800-333-9041 with any
questions and ask for Sherman, W2FLA.
>
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>