ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Residents on Mill Court in North-West Abilene had little warning when a falling tree caught itself in a nearby power line. The sparks caught on nearby foliage and broke out into fire between two neighboring homes.

“The lights started flickering. I was just sitting in the living room. I heard a boom, and I just thought maybe a transformer or something because of the heat,” said Mill Court resident Jerry Cumbie.

Cumbie’s home was one of those damaged in the fire. He said the power interruption and loud booms were enough to rouse suspicion that danger might be nearby. He is the resident who called 911 to the scene upon finding smoke rising behind his home.

“I heard another boom and a crackling sound, and I just went around back. I saw smoke. And that’s when I saw the electrical line. The tree had fallen and landed on the line…Of course, I called 911 before I did anything,” Cumbie recalled.

All residents were able to vacate their homes before sustaining any injury from the fire. A quick response from the Abilene Fire Department ensured that the damage done to two of the homes and the shared fence line would not spread to the rest of the neighborhood.

“The fence line was already on fire. There was a bunch of dead undergrowth. Y’know, old leaves and stuff like that it caught on fire…Yeah, it’s very scary. When you’ve got bushes in between, and this heat and low humidity, it’s the perfect combination,” said Cumbie.

AEP arrived on the scene to cut power to the lines so that firefighters could safely extinguish the flames. They have now repaired the line and restored power to that area.