Man electrocuted in tree fire

Police and fire department report from the week ending July 28:

A 31-year-old contractor died when he became entangled in a power line while trimming a palm tree in the rear yard of a residence in the 1400 block of Orlando Drive on July 28.

Arcadia Police Officers and members from the Arcadia Fire Department responded to a call at 10:56 a.m. about a tree fire. The victim was severely injured by the electrical current and fell. Upon arrival, firefighters witnessed a palm tree fire with a tree trimmer, who appeared to have been electrocuted, harnessed approximately 20 feet up in the blazing tree. Within moments of arrival the fire burned through the harness and the tree trimmer fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Southern California Edison Company (SCE) and CALOSHA were immediately requested to the scene. Suppression measures were hampered by energized power lines creating heavy arcing in the area. A small vegetation fire was also ignited to the rear of an adjoining residence in the 1400 block of Oaklawn Road. Electricity was shut off to the neighborhood while firefighters extinguished the remaining fire and Arcadia Police conducted their investigation.

— By Scott Hettrick