Electrician Severely Burned By Electric Arc Flash

An electrician was severely burned Wednesday morning when an electric arc flashed off a switch he was installing in a commerical building in West Norwalk.

The man appeared to have second-degree burns over 40 percent of his body, said Deputy Fire Chief Ed Prescott, who responded to the call at 770 Connecticut Ave.

The arc flash filled the building with smoke, which activated the building's fire alarm system at 8:40 a.m. Fire companies were en route to the location responding to the automatic alarm when they were informed there was a victim with electrical burns.

Prescott said the electrician was walking around when he arrived, but had blistering burn wounds on his face, chest and arms. He was transported by ambulance to Bridgeport Hospital's burn unit.

Prescott said the man, who appeared to be in his 60s, worked for a New York electrical contractor. He did not have the man's name or the name of his employer. He said the man was installing a main switch in an electrical panel when the arc flash occurred.

Two fuses on a utility pole outside the building blew because of the arc flash. Linemen from Connecticut Light and Power disconnected electric service to the building.

The main tenant in the building is a Crunch Fitness athletic facility. A Children's Corner Learning Center and an A-1 Carpet and Floors store are in the process of moving into the building.

City tax assessment records show the building is owned by Alyssa Holdings LLC of the Bronx, NY. The company purchased the building in January 2008 for $6.93 million.

Although the city shows the company is in the Bronx, the company's phone number is listed to the 770 Connecticut Ave. address. No one answered a call to that number Wednesday afternoon.

The building and fire inspectors investigating the incident could not be reached for comment.