Squirrel Causes Serious Utility Pole Fire in Iowa City

A bizarre situation unfolded last week in Iowa City when a squirrel was deemed responsible for setting a utility pole ablaze.

On Tuesday, May 26th, the Iowa City Fire Department responded to a utility pole fire. The video of the situation, per KCRG, looked incredibly serious, with smoke and flames billowing from the pole on the corner of Dubuque Street and Lafayette Street around 6:45am.

READ MORE: Phoebe Bridgers Sells Out Surprise Davenport Concert

The pole and other related poles nearby needed to be disconnected before the fire could be addressed. Low and behold, the Iowa City Fire Department determined the cause of the fire to be a squirrel. Somehow, the squirrel came in contact with the electric current. Specific details weren't revealed. Maybe he tripped a wire, or one of his nuts ignited the blaze.

Either way, a utility pole fire, while scary, isn't ordinarily newsworthy in itself, unless it's caused by a squirrel, as was the case here. The good news? The fire was extinguished by the fire department in about two minutes, and no human injuries were reported.

READ MORE: Dubuque County Supervisors Approve One-Year Moratorium on Data Centers

Get our free mobile app

Unfortunately, I couldn't source the condition or fate of the squirrel. I'm led to believe he was incinerated, but knowing how quick those little scamps are, I suppose he could've fled just in time, both to safe his own hind and skirt any responsibility for the mess he caused.

You can find out more about a utility pole fire caused by a squirrel in Iowa City on KCRG's website.