Man climbed power pole after setting rooftop fire in Sacramento, fire officials say
A man was arrested after climbing on top of a power pole and setting a fire on top of a building Wednesday evening in Curtis Park, Sacramento police and fire officials said.
The incident happened near First Avenue and 24th Street, the Sacramento Fire Department said in social media posts beginning around 6:15 p.m.
“In what appears to be a series of poor decisions, a man lit a fire on the roof of a two-story commercial building then climbed a utility pole,” the Fire Department wrote in a tweet.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the rooftop fire, and police responded in an effort to coax the man off the power pole, authorities said.
Fire officials said the man was “back on solid ground” as of 7:30 p.m. and detained by police.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District officials had to briefly cut power in the area, de-energizing lines so that the man could get down safely, the Fire Department said.
Sacramento Police Department spokesman Officer Ryan Woo said crisis negotiators were able to safely contact the man, who was ultimately arrested on arson-related charges.
Woo said the fire was small and did not cause any major structural damage to the building.
No one was injured in the incident, officials said, and the Fire Department is investigating the fire.
The man’s identity was not released by police.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 9:24 AM.
