Just as families were getting ready for the workday and school day, an explosion rocked a home and neighborhood, leaving one dead and forcing the evacuation of a large area that includes one Dallas ISD elementary school.
At this time, Atmos Energy officials and Dallas Fire-Rescue are trying to determine what caused a gas line to explode in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive, DFD officials said.
Two other incidents in this Love Field-adjacent neighborhood have been reported, including a family who said the flame on their gas stove flared by surprise, and another family reported a gas heater exploding, which resulted in the hospitalization of one.
This morning’s incident left an 11-year-old girl in very serious condition at Parkland Hospital, and sent four other people to Parkland as well.
Neighboring homes were evacuated, and over the course of the morning, the evacuations widened to include Foster Elementary School, which sits at the corner of Clover Lane and Marsh Lane in Midway Hollow.
Council members Omar Narvaez and Adam Medrano, and Dallas ISD trustee Miguel Solis issued a joint statement alerting their constituents of the evacuations.
“We wanted to make you aware that Dallas Fire and Rescue and Atmos Energy have issued a mandatory evacuation of Stephen C. Foster Elementary following a house explosion this morning a few blocks from the campus,” they said. “We have learned there is a fatality of a young girl, however, we are not aware if she is one of our students.”
“Per the school’s emergency operation plans, Foster students will be transported to Thomas Jefferson High School during this time.”
DFD later outlined where students would go in a tweet.
#HouseExplosion UPDATE: #Evacuations from #DISD Stephen C. Foster Elementary are as follows…. Pre-K – 2 going to Carey Middle School; Grades 3-5 going to Thomas Jefferson H.S. @DallasFireRes_q @DallasISDMedia @CityOfDallas @DallasPD @atmosenergy @CityOfDallas @DallasOEM
— DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE (@DallasFireRes_q) February 23, 2018
Happening Now: students are evacuating Steven C. Foster elementary school after a nearby house explosion. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/Ebp58S0Vi4
— Cleo Greene (@cgreeneWFAA) February 23, 2018
@DallasFireRes_q still on scene of #HouseExplosion. #MandatoryEvacuations issued for Fontana Dr. to Bolivar Dr. b/t Marsh Ln. & Larga Dr. Also evacuating 700+ students from #DISD Stephen C.Foster Elementary. @DallasISDMedia @atmosenergy @CityOfDallas https://t.co/r40EtH7nX3
— DALLAS FIRE-RESCUE (@DallasFireRes_q) February 23, 2018
Structure Fire Working | 3500 Espanola Dr | https://t.co/7WPWyAkcfm | 782 | 350001 | 06:48 | C
— Dallas Fire Rescue (@dfrincidents) February 23, 2018
