A town outside of Dallas, Texas was rocked Monday morning by an explosion that demolished one home, damaged nine others and left two people with burn injuries.
The explosion happened at around 8 a.m. in Waxahachie on the 100 block of Arabian Road that runs through the Saddlebrook Estates neighborhood, said Waxahachie Police Department spokesman Wes Winn to BuzzFeed News.
The two adult residents inside of the home at the time of the explosion were airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas with burn injuries. The female victim was pulled from the house debris by neighbors but was conscious and talking. A third victim, who helped pull the two residents to safety, was treated for minor injuries on the scene and released, according to City of Waxahachie spokesperson Amy Hollywood.
Waxahachie fire department readies equipment as police search some of the ten homes damaged in morning blast.
Debris from the explosion can be seen strewn along the street. The home appears to be completely flattened with only part of the house's wood frame in tact. The two houses on either side of the explosion suffered significant damage. The garages were blown and windows shattered, according to Winn. The impact reached homes down the block where homes had their doors blown out.
The source of the explosion is still under investigation, but Waxahachie firefighters told NBC DFW that it may have been caused by a gas leak. Authorities on scene cleared the neighborhood until they determine it is safe.
@JennyDoren @wfaachannel8 this was felt FAR away. I'm over 10 miles & it shook my house. I know people who felt it even further east. Sad.
Winn said Atmos Energy Corporation, which serves the area, evacuated residents and rescue departments from the area "because there was still a high concentration of gas." Winn described the area as heavy with a strong smell of gas.
It is not clear when residents will be allowed back into the neighborhood. The American Red Cross arrived at the scene to treat people with injuries.
"First and foremost our thoughts are with the families affected by today's incident. We want to express our sincere concern," said Atmos Energy spokesperson Jennifer Altieri. "As part of normal operating procedures when Atmos Energy is called to the scene of an incident, we work closely with our first responders to make the area safe and then conduct leak surveys in the area to identify if gas was involved."
Atmos is working to restore gas service to the area and coordinating with the American Red Cross to meet the needs of evacuated residents who can't return home for the night, it said in a statement on Monday.
Monday's explosion marks the fifth major house explosion in an area served by Atmos Energy Corporation since 2010.
The Texas Railroad Commission has accused the company of violating safety regulations in two separate 2013 gas explosions in Gainesville and Lewisville. The Commission alleged in those incidents that the company failed to shut off a gas leak soon enough to prevent the explosion that leveled a family's home, according to CBS Local DFW and WFAA. The Lewisville blast resulted in the death of 55-year-old Scott Deahl, according to WFAA.
The Commission said in an emailed statement to BuzzFeed News that its inspectors are at the explosion site. Though Hollywood said an investigation into the source of the explosion will likely take weeks to complete.
"Our pipeline safety staff will be working with the operator to determine if natural gas was involved in this incident," said Commission spokesperson Ramona Nye. "If natural gas was involved, the Commission will investigate to determine if any pipeline safety rules were violated."
The Waxahachie Fire Department could not be immediately reached for comment by BuzzFeed News.
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