The cause of the fire that totaled a residence on Texas Street Tuesday afternoon has yet to be determined, said Abilene’s Interim Fire Chief Kale Strunk.
Residents were able to get out of the building and were not injured. Firefighters also rescued a cat.
Smoke from the fire filled much of downtown Abilene and it could be seen for miles.
“We originally made entry, fighting it from the interior until the structure became unsafe because there was fire below us,” Strunk said. “I had to pull the interior crew out and it became a defensive fire at that point in time.”
The primary focus then became protecting the surrounding structures.
“We had heavy fire on the second floor upon arrival. That is originally where we made entry,” he said.
Grant Township and Dickinson District 1 also assisted the Abilene Fire Department.