Man catches fire trying to steal copper wiring (from an electric substation)

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: New 8 Austin

A man is in critical condition after authorities said he tried to steal copper wiring at an electrical substation.

His actions caused sparks to fly.

He received burns all over his body and power went out for thousands.

Most the 7,300 homes affected were in East Austin.

The outage happened just before rush hour Wednesday night and caused traffic jams because traffic lights were affected.

The suspect's botched attempts caused him to catch fire.

Witness Jessie Hernandez said she told the man to Stop, Drop and Roll.

"He was burning up, he was still on fire,” Hernandez said. “And I was telling him to drop and roll around, to roll around and turn out the fire."

Read more: http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=201560

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the metal has gained 47% this past year

[hobbit709]

1. Darwin nomination

[CottonBear]

3. That's what I was thinking. His prognosis sounds grim. n/t

[Warpy]

14. Yeah, first for trying to steal live high tension wire

and second for not knowing what the hell to do when the fire broke out.

He should get two of them.

[MissB]

33. Sad, but true.

[CottonBear]

2. People are so desperate they risk death to steal copper wire. Damn.

One of my clients runs a non-ferrous metals recycling business. The local police and Sheriffs departments are in constant touch with them: people in my area are stripping the wire out of everything they can lay their hands on. Sometimes, they just take entire HVAC units from homes and businesses. My clients told me that at least one person in the area died when they got electrocuted stripping wire out of an electric transformer.
:(

[phantom power]

5. Keep an eye on your catalytic converter too.

[CottonBear]

8. I just heard about that from my mechanic. The platinum is what they're after. n/t

[DainBramaged]

11. Uh, that was a BS story

The convertors are worth more used than the materials in them because they are expensive, unless you get a universal fit one for under $100 and match it up.

I just replaced one, $285 for an OEM fit Walker. Without labor. And you have to REGISTER the serial number of the car you remove the converter from with the state.




Walker Catalytic Converter
Part Number: 15043
$81.48 at Advanced Auto Parts

[phantom power]

13. It seems to be happening:

Here's one of the stories regarding catalytic converter theft I've read:

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=local&id=5378700

[DainBramaged]

18. "If your catalytic converter is stolen, it will cost around $2,000 to replace it."

How to perpetuate a crime. What a loon.

That Sheriff needs to get an understanding of how little precious metals are in these converters, and not all converters contain all three metals, usually only platinum.

I stand behind my original post.

[phantom power]

20. Are you claiming that it's not happening, or that it's not sensible?

[DainBramaged]

27. It is one of the stupidest crimes going

And it will stop quick when the thieves realize how little they are getting in return.

Do the math, new converter $81, what is it worth in metal, $5 bucks?

[kestrel91316]

17. Desperate?? Or maybe just too damned lazy to work an HONEST job?

[Selatius]

29. Crime pays more. Dick Cheney and George W. Bush are role models in that regard.

You can break the law and get away with it if you bribe the right people. Thanks to corporate crooks, everybody is making less money, and there are fewer high paying jobs left for folks to fight over. In previous decades, a person could support his entire family on just his income. Those days are gone. I expect more crime as the middle class continues to shrink. I don't justify it, but that's what I see.

[ileus]

35. A job is so 1950's it easier to be a bum or collect a check of some sort.

[slackmaster]

4. Dumbass

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. Currently he has my volt for Idiot of the Month

[DainBramaged]

7. Death from copper

How can anyone be so dumb as to try to steal live wire?

[mikeytherat]

10. Meth

mikey_the_rat

[theHandpuppet]

16. Yep, that's the reason around my neck of the woods, too

Slimebag methheads even steal the copper and bronze markers from the graves of veterans all to feed their damn meth habit.

[slackmaster]

22. Yup, probably all amped out

:freak:

[Wcross]

30. I have never tried meth but it must be damn good! n/t

[hunter]

9. Pray the economy holds together.

The U.S. could go third-world very quickly.

It doesn't take much of this kind of thing to knock out the the water and power.

[DemoTex]

12. Someone stole the copper gutters from a local Episcopal church a few weeks ago.

Gutters, downspouts, the whole works. Here in Greenville, SC.

[idovoodoo]

25. They're hauling away outside AC compressors/condensers around here...

:eyes:

[LiberalFighter]

28. They tried stealing the copper from a church here last year in NE IN.

[ORDagnabbit]

15. darwin award!

[DS1]

19. well

[Tab]

21. Don't these idiots know what electrical substations ARE??

Sheesh.

It's going to be a loooong year.

[idovoodoo]

23. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

too funny.

[Medusa]

24. A guy tried that in a small town near the city I lived

he didn't live to tell the tale.

[hedgehog]

26. Similar story here - someone tried to steal the copper grounding wire off

a high voltage line - on a misty day.

[pinniped]

31. This asshole could've caused serious accidents for causing the traffic lights to go out.

Thieving scumbag.

[Wcross]

32. He is either already dead or on his way.

Those burns are through & through, not just the skin surface. I had to take an arc/flash training class at work & you don't want to mess with high voltage. I work with a guy whose father was injured in a power line incident. He lost both arms & one leg. The guy says his dad still has burn marks from the change in his pocket & a pocket watch. All he did was step out of a power company truck right after a storm not knowing a power line was touching the truck. He was the ground when his foot hit the pavement. Very painful way to die.

[ileus]

34. Now he’ll be able to collect a check instead of stealing.

Was it really too much to ask to get a job? Was it worth his life/health?

[PlanetBev]

36. I have to deal with this shit all the time

As a commercial property manager, I've had to restore the wiring in three of our properties, one here in California, two more in Texas and Mississippi. Usually, it's to the tune of $12,000 or more. Sometimes it's professionals, sometimes local crackheads. Either way, it's a colossal pain in the ass.:mad: