FILLMORE : Man, 71, Suffers Burns in Shrub Fire

A resident of a senior citizen development in Fillmore was injured Wednesday when a high-voltage power line ignited shrubbery where he was doing maintenance work.

Norman Potts, 71, was in stable condition Thursday at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital’s burn center with second- and third-degree burns. No structures were damaged in the incident, which occurred about 11 a.m. at the El Dorado Mobile home park on California 126.

Witnesses’ accounts of the incident have been sketchy, said Al Rosette, who has managed the seniors-only park for about eight months.

He said that Potts, a 15-year resident at El Dorado, frequently does maintenance work in exchange for rent credit.

Rosette said Potts had been preparing an area for a new light post and may have disturbed an underground power cable while trying to remove a shrub.

“We don’t know what really happened until we talk to Norman,” Rosette said.

However, Rosette said he was surprised by the accident.

“Potts used to work as a contractor, and he does a lot of work for people in the park and around Fillmore. He’s usually pretty smart about these kinds of things.”

Rosette was not sure if the area where Potts was working had been marked with signs warning of high voltage, but he said an electrical connection box was visible.