The Hazard of Stealing Electricity

(Inglewood, California) It seems some people believe that electric bills can be avoided by simply climbing into a substation and using jumper cables to tap into high-voltage lines adjacent to a power transformer.

A father and his teenage daughter were in critical condition after receiving severe burns during an alleged attempt to steal electricity from high-voltage power lines in Inglewood, a police official said Saturday.

L.A. County Fire officials and police responding to an explosion at a power transformer late Friday found the 52-year-old man and his 17-year-old daughter with extensive electric burns, Inglewood Police Lt. Neal Cochran said.

The man had used tools to tap into a live wire, resulting in a chain reaction and causing the transformer to explode, Cochran said.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid locations posted with high voltage signs.

Tip: Charley Red Tag