Ranchi, Feb 13 : Four houses were gutted after an 11,000 volt overhead live wire fell on their roofs in Sajwan village of Jharkhand's Palamu district on Monday. The fire spread after a gas cylinder exploded. It caused loss of property, along with claiming the lives of a few cattle. All the residents of the houses were evacuated safely with the help of villagers. Haidernagar police station in-charge Azad Ansari reached the spot immediately after receiving information. As per sources, the fire brigade took around an hour and fifteen minutes in covering a distance of 12 km to reach the spot. Four families lost their homes in the incident. The villagers alleged that they had submitted several applications to the electricity department urging them to install guards at the wire. Despite the repeated requests, 440 volt wires are supported by bamboo poles in the village. /IANS