Large grass fire in Brampton possibly started after bird hit power line, police say

Peel Regional Police say a bird striking a power line might have caused a large grass fire at the Brampton-Mississauga border Thursday evening, briefly forcing a shutdown of Highway 407.

A Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson told Global News emergency crews were called to the east side of Highway 410 just south of Highway 407 at around 6 p.m.

Firefighters from Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon were all called in to help extinguish the blaze. Peel Paramedics were also called in as a precaution.

The spokesperson said approximately 40 acres of grass caught on fire.

They said they weren’t aware of what caused the fire. However, Peel Regional Police later issued an update on Twitter and said it appeared a bird hit a power line and caused a spark after it landed — triggering the fire.

Police said a similar bird strike occurred in the same area on Wednesday.

The operators of Highway 407 said on Twitter that the highway had to be shut down at Highway 410 briefly, forcing vehicle traffic to use alternate routes.

Soaring temperatures have impacted many parts of the Greater Toronto Area in recent weeks, causing some areas to experience drought-like conditions.