Three homes in the 1500 block of Morningside Drive in Seymour caught fire simultaneously Thursday afternoon due to an electrical issue.
Seymour Fire Chief Brad Lucas said it all started with a resident of one of the homes cutting down a tree toward the back of their property.
“The tree got into the overhead power line that supplies several homes,” Lucas said. “It cut through one of the lines which caused an issue with the power supply to the nearby homes.”
Seymour firefighters responded to the call at 3:43 p.m. and were joined by city officers along with officers from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department who helped with traffic control.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the fires with just one home suffering significant smoke and water damage, Lucas said.
“We had to remove some drywall in the kitchen and laundry room to find the areas where wiring was burning and to be sure that the fire hadn’t extended to other areas,” Lucas said of that home at 1556 Morningside Drive.
After the fires were extinguished, Lucas said homes in the area were checked for potential future safety hazards before firefighters left the scene.
“Firefighters remained on the scene until the power line was repaired and all homes considered safe,” he said.
The home at 1556 Morningside Drive, occupied by Maurice and Janet Rose, sustained an estimated $45,000 worth of property damage, Lucas said.
He said a home at 1563 Morningside Drive, occupied by Jeff Ernest suffered an estimated $5,000 in property damage, while the third home at 1564 Morningside Drive, occupied by Linda McFarland, suffered an estimated $12,000 in property damage.
Lucas confirmed no injuries were sustained as a result of the fires.