Police released dashcam video of the incident at the intersection of Route 70 and Colonial Drive in Manchester Township, Ocean County.
Police said the storms caused transformers to explode and electrical wires to drop.
Officers were responding to a traffic light being out, and the worker was handling a wire that was believed to be de-energized.
It caught fire when it hit the ground, causing the worker to jump back and run for safety. But he was wearing proper safety equipment and was not hurt, according to police.
The video was posted on the Manchester Township police Facebook page.
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