On Thanksgiving Day, when most of us were serving up turkey dinner or watching the Dallas Cowboys game, one North Texas family suffered a devastating shock. A gas explosion in South Dallas’ Urbandale community interrupted a family gathering, destroying their guest house, and causing extensive damage to the home. According to both the Urbandale and the Parkdale/Lawnview Neighborhood Facebook pages, the explosion was felt for several blocks.
A family friend who was living in the guest house was badly burned and buried in the rubble, but thankfully survived, and remains in the burn unit at Parkland Memorial Hospital with second-degree burns. A 13-year-old boy suffered some injuries from flying glass, but no one else in the family was seriously injured.
The home, however, is badly damaged, the guest house looks to be completely destroyed, and the friend who was temporarily living there has lost all of his possessions. It was a shocking blow on a day the family had gathered to give thanks.
The picture above is the living room where the family usually gathers to watch TV.
“Thankfully only one family member was in here where they usually hang out. I literally choked up when I realized they should have been here, but happened to be in the kitchen! Such a relief they weren’t in here,” said Jeffrey Martin, a neighbor and family friend.
Cause of The Gas Explosion in South Dallas
While the exact cause of the explosion is officially unknown, the family reports that a gas pipe exploded. Atmos was on the scene the day of the explosion and removed both the gas meter and a section of pipe. About 10 people were gathered when, at approximately 5 p.m., there was a sudden explosion near the guest house where the family friend, Francisco, was at the time.
Vanessa Escobar, the homeowner, is heartsick. Her children say that the family saved for years to purchase the home, the first she ever owned, and that it will be a struggle to afford repairs. Keily Lopez, Escobar’s daughter, has started two GoFundMe pages: one to help with Francisco’s medical care (he does not have insurance), and one to assist with home repair. You can find that information below. Seven people currently live in the house, including five adults, two babies, as well as four pets, and the home is not suitable for living at this time.
Atmos Energy has issued the following statement:
On Nov. 23, Atmos Energy’s highly trained technicians responded to a call on Wofford Drive in Dallas at the request of Dallas Fire-Rescue. Our investigation confirmed our system is operating normally. We have found no evidence that our system was involved. Our thoughts are with those injured and impacted by this event. We will continue to assist Dallas Fire-Rescue and all officials in support of their investigation.
UPDATE:
daltxrealestate.com spoke with family friend and neighbor, Jeffrey Martin, who has been assisting the family at the home in dealing with the wreckage and has been instrumental in getting this story to the attention of the press. Martin said Escobar’s property is “like a battlefield,” comparing the wreckage to the devastation of a tornado.
Martin said the Urbandale neighborhood has come together like a village to help the family. “One of the neighbors works for the law firm, Miller, Weisbrod & Olesky and by Friday afternoon they were at the hospital checking on Francisco and helping the family navigate their home insurance policy,” he said. The policy doesn’t cover housing so the family is spread out at three different relatives’ homes for now. “Francisco–that was everything he had in the world in that house, and it’s just gone. Anything people can do to help is appreciated.”
The gas appears to be shut off in the immediate area. The family is in a state of shock, along with the entire neighborhood, waiting to understand what could have caused such a powerful explosion.
