Fire chief: Man learned firsthand the dangers of stealing copper wire

A PSE substation in Renton was broken into Wednesday morning. KCPQ-TV



RENTON -- A man who climbed over a high fence and used bolt cutters in an attempt to steal copper wire is in the hospital this morning after suffering a severe electric shock from a transformer, Eastside Fire and Rescue officials told Q13FOX News.

Around 4 a.m. Wednesday, a small fire was reported at a Puget Sound Energy substation near the intersection of SE 128th Way and 198th Avenue near Renton.

Fire officials put out the small fire and found a severely burned man inside the substation who was not a PSE employee. Officials called King County sheriff's deputies to the scene and the man was taken to Harborview Medical Center with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over more than 60 percent of his body.

His condition was not known at 7 a.m.

Eastside Fire and Rescue battalion chief Dave McDaniel believes the man climbed over a substation security fence and tried to cut wire off a large transformer with bolt cutters. The man was shocked by the transformer and injured.

The loss of transformer power caused about 2,800 in the Renton area to lose power. The power was expected to be turned back on at 7:30 a.m.