Takoma Park police are investigating the accidental electrocution death of a worker Saturday morning.
Police said an officer dispatched to the 7400 block of Jackson Avenue around 9:21 a.m. found a man engulfed in flames, touching an aluminum ladder in contact with a power line.
Police immediately called Pepco to shut off the power but were unable to intervene or extinguish the fire until part of the ladder melted away, breaking the electrical charge, police said.
The victim, Orlando Hernandez, 48, of Hyattsville, Md., immediately succumbed to his injuries.
A preliminary investigation showed he had been hired by a homeowner to trim a tree when the ladder he was holding came into contact with the high-voltage power line, which was carrying 7,620 volts of electricity, police said.
A Pepco spokeswoman said the company is cooperating with police in the investigation.
