A man who may have been trying to steal copper wiring was severely burned on top of a utility pole this morning, Dallas Fire-Rescue said. His rescue was hindered because his flesh had melded with the metal on the pole.

James Buster McKay, 51, was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he remained in critical condition this afternoon. He faces a felony charge of criminal mischief.

Dallas police said they were notified about 4:30 a.m. that a man was stuck on a utility pole in the 800 block of Regal Row near the Irving border. Police said Oncor was also notified about an outage in the area and at 5:17 a.m. restored power. The man may have grabbed a wire when power was being restored, said Dallas police Cpl. Gerry Monreal

When crews arrived, they found cut wires on the ground and Mr. McKay stuck between transformers on the pole, police said.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Sherrie Lopez said the man had been hit with about 7,000 volts, possibly twice. The rescue was hindered because his flesh had adhered to the metal components on the pole. Much of his clothes had either "burned off or blown off," she said.

Crews reached Mr. McKay using a ladder from a fire truck and he was lowered shortly before 7 a.m. and taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital. He suffered third-degree burns and was burned on about 50 percent of his body, Ms. Lopez said.

"There is no amount of copper that is worth the pain this man is going to have to endure," she said.

Police said the incident caused more than $10,000 in damage.

Oncor confirmed that the man was not an employee or contractor for the company.

Copper thefts have been a pervasive problem throughout North Texas as the price of copper attracts those looking to make a quick buck. Thieves steal copper from a number of items, including street lights, air-conditioning units and electrical transformers, and trade in the valuable metal for cash at recycling businesses.

The thefts have affected businesses large and small. Oncor said the company suffered about $1 million in losses from such thefts last year. So far this year, more than $400,000 has been lost, the company said.

Some local business owners have taken to sleeping at their stores and guarding their rooftops to prevent such thefts. In July, a business owner's son fatally shot a man on the roof of Bargain Town Variety & Furniture store in Garland. Police said thieves had targeted the store twice in two days before the shooting. During one incident about $6,000 worth of copper was stolen from the air-conditioning units.

In May, the Dallas City Council approved stricter measures governing the sale of scrap metal to recycling businesses. Recyclers are now required to take photographs of sellers, their vehicle and their metal. Buyers must also record the sellers' identification cards and thumbprints.