Bird sparks McKinney grass fire, citizens spring into action

A dramatic video captured in McKinney shows how quickly a small grass fire almost got out of control, if not for the quick actions of vigilant people nearby.

It only took a water bottle, Yeezy look-alike sneakers and two selfless men to save the day in McKinney.

Dental Depot office manager Chris Rocha was with a patient Tuesday morning when, “We heard a loud bang. After coming out to the front here, I noticed some smoke.”

McKinney resident Hanif Islam was driving home when he noticed it too.

“I was approaching the traffic light of Stacey and Ridge and I noticed a cloud of smoke,” he said.

A grass fire suddenly ignited and started spreading down Stacey Road.

Islam turned around and parked his car.

“By the time I got there, there was somebody already there,” said Islam. “[Chris] was in his dental scrubs and his Yeezy’s just doing jumping jacks.”

With his cell phone always on him, Islam ran up and offered Rocha his water bottle to help snuff out the flames.

So, what sparked the blaze?

“Initially, I thought someone must’ve flicked a smoke, but that wasn’t the case,” said Islam. “It was a bird. A bird caused it.”

We’ll spare you the images, but a bird perished after touching the power line, equipment or metal, knocking out power to the dentist's office.

“And when it fell on the grass, the fire just spread,” said Islam.

Collin County’s drought conditions are categorized as ‘moderate,’ according to drought.gov.  

Rocha and a colleague doused the remaining hot spots with a mop bucket just as firefighters arrived on the scene.

Crisis averted.

Islam says there are two reasons he stopped to help.

“I stopped because every time I’m on the highway, there are these signs about ‘caution’ and ‘wildfire danger’ and I had some family that was stuck in Maui with the wildfires there and that was pretty scary what they went through,” said Islam.  “I mean, what are the chances that that small patch spreading, but still. Those things play in your head and you just want to do what you can.”

Though not well documented, the Wildlife Society found 44 wildland fires ignited by avian electrocutions in the U.S. between 2014 and 2018.

Rocha now jokingly calls his slightly burned “knock-off” Yeezy sneakers “Cheezys.”

“We as a team, I think we saved the day, I hope,” said Islam with a smile.

“McKinney Fire Department came by a few minutes later. They did offer a job. They said, ‘Hey, anyone want to work the C-shift?’ I said, 'Man, why not?'”