Murfreesboro, TN - One of the purposes of a news story is to satisfy your curiosity—and a Sunday (10/19/2025) afternoon event certainly stirred plenty of that. Just after noon, as church services let out and families headed home, one of the 'Boro’s busiest intersections—Medical Center Parkway and Memorial Blvd., became a scene of confusion. Traffic came to a complete standstill--bumper to bumper, cars weren’t moving. The traffic signal was out, and officers were manually directing the flow.

Motorists inching through the area saw flashing blue and red lights from multiple police cars, two massive Murfreesboro Fire-Rescue trucks, and other emergency vehicles lined up about 800 feet down Medical Center Parkway. Some drivers pulled out their phones to snap pictures, wondering what had happened.

WGNS News spoke with Murfreesboro Fire-Rescue, who explained that a large tree limb had fallen onto high-voltage power lines, sparking a small fire and knocking out power in the area. Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) crews were already on the scene, working to remove the limb and restore service. Firefighters had quickly extinguished the flames but remained in place, using their trucks as protective barriers for the utility workers.

Amy Byers of MTE told WGNS that the trees had grown into the power lines, and high winds snapped a branch that caused the fire. She reminded residents to keep an eye on trees near power lines and to notify MTE before problems arise. “Don’t wait until the tree creates an outage or other issue that is more dangerous,” she said.

MTE even offers a special program: if property owners allow crews to remove large trees that pose a risk, they’ll plant suitable replacements in their place.

So while Sunday’s traffic jam may have been frustrating, it also served as a reminder—sometimes nature needs a little help to stay safe around our power lines.