The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the area of Van Nuys Boulevard and Gladstone Avenue around 5 p.m. Tuesday.
It's unclear exactly what he was doing, but power was cut to the neighborhood and some people at the scene thought the man was trying to steal copper.
For long periods of time, the man appeared to be motionless.
After about an hour of trying to talk the man down, both police and fire crews left the scene.
The man eventually climbed down on his own and simply walked away. His exact intentions remain a mystery.