Marinwood Firefighters Save A Baby Bird From FireFighters

Marinwood firefighters used a garden hose attached to a vacuum cleaner to rescue a baby bird from an underground drain pipe Monday.

The bird fell from a nest in the eaves into a drain that went under a concrete surface at the fire station, said firefighter Brian Smith. Firefighters could not reach the chick, so they used the vacuum and hose extension to suck it out.

"He was on the end of the little garden hose," Smith said.

The bird was taken to WildCare in San Rafael. WildCare spokeswoman Alison Hermance, said the bird, a fledgling house finch, had a scrape on the top of its head but no other injuries. She said the bird can stand and hop and its wings seem healthy.

Because of its head injuries and the risk of infection, the bird will remain at WildCare for treatment. The staff at the nonprofit will raise it with other house finches its age, then release it into the wild when it is healthy and can fly, Hermance said.