ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, a house caught on fire in the 400 block of Elm Street.

Nearby residents told KTAB/KRBC that they smelled smoke and saw people running from the yard, some evacuating dogs. Another witness added that they saw a tree on fire as well.

According to a preliminary investigation, the fire began outside of the home. The residents were not home at the time, and no injuries were reported. People nearby worked to evacuate multiple animals, but one was found deceased.

A structure nearby was threatened at one point and had minor exposure. Thanks to the quick work of crews on the scene, that structure was not damaged.

Due to the damage that affected both stories of the home, the residents are displaced but are receiving help from multiple groups of people. At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknown as the investigation continues. BigCountryHomepage will update if additional information is released.