Kestrel chicks saved from B.C. wildfire released back into the wild

Two falcon chicks whichwere rescued after riding out one of B.C.'s biggest wildfiresinside a power pole have been released back into the wild.

BC Hydro crewsspotted the kestrels in their cavity nestin the Ashcroft area on July 12, five days after the Elephant Hill fire broke out.

They were about to clear a burned power pole when they realized it wasn't empty.

"To their amazement, they found that there was a cavity nest in that pole and two beautiful little kestrel chicks, still alive," said BC Hydro's Dag Sharman.

"Everything around them had been burned, including the pole they were in, and trees and grass. It was blackened all around them. Somehow, these little birds survived that fire."

The American kestrelswere rescued andtaken to the BC Wildlife Park's centre in Kamloops.

Adrienne Clay,an animal care supervisor, said the chicks were in rough shape but still "pretty lucky" to have survived.

The falcons werereleased on Fridayafter more than two months of rehabilitation. They were set free near Pritchard, about 130 kilometres East of Ashcroft, because their old habitat is still scorched.

Sharmantipped his hat to the team at the rehabilitation centre, calling it"fantastic."

He added thatthecrew thatfound the chicks has followed theirprogress all summer.

"They're very relieved and excited to see the birds are now back to living as they should in the wild."

American kestrels are the smallest falcons found in North America. They range from Northern B.C. to South America.

The Elephant Hill wildfire, one of the biggest of B.C.'s fire season,burned for 76 days. It destroyed at least 120 buildings and forced more than 50,000 people from their homes.