As Sunland Park blaze burned several homes, neighbors with hoses joined firefighters in battle

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico -- Firelighters from multiple departments battled a Sunland Park blaze Saturday evening that engulfed several homes and threatened others before it was finally put out.

The huge fire broke out about 6 p.m. in the 100-200 block of Linda Vista and Sunland Park fire officials said "responding crews were encountered with heavy fire and smoke."

Firefighters from El Paso, West Valley, Santa Teresa and La Union were called in to assist Sunland Park fire crews in getting the flames under control, which took hours.

Nearby residents - amidst thick, heavy smoke in the neighborhood that made breathing difficult - tended to their own garden hoses, getting on their rooftops to spraying water in a furious attempt to protect their homes.

“People started grabbing hoses and jumping in there because the fire department took a little while to get here," resident Gilbert Arellano said.

Anissa Pinon, whose family lives next door to one of the homes that was burning, said her and her mother evacuated with the family's dogs - while her father stayed back with the home to fight the fire with his garden hose.

“I was almost in tears concerned that my dad would get hurt or injured," Pinon recalled to ABC-7 on Sunday.

Firefighters at the scene indicated three to four homes burned, but there were no injuries. The Red Cross was assisting four people who were displaced as a result of the fire.

It wasn't clear exactly what had ignited the blaze; officials said Sunday that the cause remained under investigation.