Multiple families were left in the dark in Williamsbridge when an electric pole erupted into flames near Paulding Ave and Duncan Street.

Witnesses told News 12 they started seeing sparks fly around 4 p.m. Monday.

“Then the flame just started coming up, coming up, and coming up,” said Clair Westmoreland. “Then all of a sudden, we heard a boom.”

The FDNY says Con Edison crews were on the scene making repairs to overhead wires and clearing out fallen trees by 7:30 p.m., a response time that residents claim came nearly three hours after their initial call.

“Before they didn’t come - nobody came,” said Westmoreland. “Then when the boom happened and we started screaming with a 911 operator on the phone, that’s when the fire department showed up.”

Con Edison says crews will continue making repairs to the area where more than 400 customers were initially without power. They expected those repairs to be complete Tuesday afternoon.