A man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shocked and burned yesterday morning while trying to strip copper wire from an EPCOR generator compound in the city’s north end.
The jolt knocked out power to 6,000 customers in the neighbourhood, and to assist emergency crews, EPCOR shut down power to 20,000 customers for up to an hour.
Police say officers were dealing with another matter near the station on 128 Avenue and 96 Street when they heard a loud bang around 2:40 a.m.
Shortly after, a woman ran up to the officers saying that somebody was on fire in a nearby compound, said police spokeswoman Karen Carlson.
“The female is known to the injured man,” she said.
The 49-year-old man was found with severe burn injuries over 70 per cent of his body and rushed to University of Alberta Hospital where was listed in critical condition last night.
Charges against the man are pending.
