Under no circumstances should a homeowner attempt to verify whether a downed power line is energized or not.

The safe minimum distance is at least 10'. And 10' may not even be enough distance under some circumstances. So stay even farther away than 10' if you can. You NEVER want to hold and extend an object of any kind toward a potentially energized power line. It is possible that by doing this you could become a path to ground, and get electrocuted.

Call 911 in these situations. If you can't get through to 911, your best option is to put up a barricade, florescent tape, or cones to keep people a safe distance away from the danger. Then keep trying to get in touch with emergency services, power company, etc.