(Washington, DC)  A 58-year-old tree-pruner has Truck 3 to thank for helping him escape serious injury. The man was cutting limbs off a tree in the back yard of a residence in the 2100 block of Bunker Hill Road., NE when one of the branches caught two power lines as it fell. One line fell into the street while the other fell into brush in the back yard, igniting leaves, grass and several trash cans.

Engine 26 was dispatched at 10:51 am for the report of wires down. When they arrived, they found the yard worker trapped about 50-feet up in the tree. The man was afraid to move out of fear of coming into contact with a power line. Truck 3 (which had been transferred to the quarters of Engine 26) arrived to begin the rescue.

Lt. RG Kowalczyk ordered the aerial ladder be extended to where the man was holding onto a branch. Firefighter Jack Adams climbed the ladder and helped the man onto the ladder, and then walked him down to safety. After a quick EMS consultation, the man was found to be in good health, and there was no need for hospitalization.

Units on the Alarm: Engine 26, Truck 3, Rescue Squad 2, Medic 14, Battalion 1.

Firefighter Jack Adams escorts a yard worker to safety.	Yard worker steps off Truck 3.