Matt Reed, a SLEMCO lineman from Church Point, and Stephanie Stevens of Bristol were both heading home down Higginbotham Highway last Thursday afternoon when flames shooting from the chimney of a home they had both long admired made them hit the brakes and step-up to save both the house and the family inside.
Lightning had struck the chimney shortly before and the homeowners had checked the attic – twice – but didn’t see anything. Between the two of them, Reed and Stevens helped save both the family and their home.
Stevens stopped to warn them, but the gate was locked. Mary and Ron Oakley saw her stop, but figured she was just delivering mail. When they saw her come back a second time, Ron went to open the gate.
“Your house is on fire!” Stevens warned. Ron raced to get his wife, Mary, and their dog safely out of the house.
At about that same time, SLEMCO Lineman Matt Reed was passing by on his way home from work and saw flames leaping out of the chimney. Without hesitation, the SLEMCO lineman sprang into action, doing what came naturally as a first responder: putting others first. He pulled right into the yard behind Stevens.
“I saw the fire and knew I had to help,” Reed said. First making sure 911 had been called, he quickly pulled the electric meter, cutting power to eliminate any electrical hazards—a critical step his utility training had drilled into him.
But Reed wasn’t done. Using a nearby ladder and hose, he made a decision that would prove crucial to saving the home. He climbed onto the roof and positioned himself just feet from the blazing chimney, directing water at the flames to put out the fire, or at least slow the fire’s spread until the Fire Department could arrive.
Here's video of Reed on the roof, courtesy of Stephanie Stevens.
Having volunteered for a time with the Branch Volunteer Fire Department just out of high school, Reed knew that the hot roof beneath him meant the fire had already spread to the attic – meaning it was way more of a fire than any one person with a single water hose could extinguish.
He concentrated his efforts on extinguishing the fire in the false chimney, hoping the resulting smoke would create enough of a barrier that it would at least reduce or eliminate the oxygen feeding the larger fire in the attic.
For precious minutes, as sirens wailed in the distance, Matt battled the fire from his precarious perch. When firefighters arrived, they found him still at work, trying to contain the blaze that could easily consume the family’s home.
The Church Point Fire Chief showed up first and set up as incident command. Then, both the Mire and Branch Volunteer Fire Departments moved in to extinguish the blaze for good.
“I really have to hand it to the firefighters,” said Reed. “They got here quickly. They’re the ones who were able to really put the fire out.” Mary Oakley added that the female firefighters touched her deeply by assuring her they were trying to cause as little water damage as possible, and even mopped things up a bit before leaving.”
“As for me, I’m just glad I stayed at work a little longer today, or I would have been home already by the time the fire started,” said Reed. “Somebody upstairs was watching for sure. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help."
“This is what SLEMCO people do,” said Mary Laurent, SLEMCO’s communications coordinator. “Matt didn’t think twice about helping his neighbors. His training kicked in—he knew how to climb safely, how to fight fires properly, and how to secure electrical hazards. That combination of heart and expertise made all the difference in our minds.”
The family and family’s home was saved, the damage minimized by Reed and Steven’s quick thinking and intervention. For Matt, it was simply what anyone would do. For SLEMCO, it’s proof of something deeper—that the company’s investment in training dedicated employees creates more than skilled line workers. It creates community guardians, a release states.
“Matt is a hero,” said Mary Oakley. He saved our home and we didn’t even know it was on fire. The Fire Chief told me that if it would have continued to burn, for even just five minutes more with no action taken, it would likely have completely burned down.”
“We train our field personnel to be first responders because emergencies don’t wait for business hours,” Mary Laurent noted. “Matt showed that our line workers don’t just restore power, they help protect what matters most.”
In Southwest Louisiana, SLEMCO workers are known for their dedication to keeping the lights on. But on this day, one lineman showed that the Pride behind the Power extends far beyond electric lines—it reaches into the heart of what it means to serve your community, the release states.
SLEMCO serves more than 118,000 customers across Acadiana, providing not just reliable electricity, but peace of mind through skilled professionals like Matt Reed who are always ready to help when neighbors need it most.
