Gas Explosion, Fire at Dallas Apartment Complex Kill 3, Including Child; 5 Injured
A natural gas explosion and devastating fire ripped through a two-story apartment building in Dallas’s Oak Cliff neighborhood Thursday afternoon, killing at least three people — among them a child — and injuring five others, according to fire officials. The blast erupted as firefighters were racing to the scene following a report of a gas leak, but the explosion occurred before emergency crews could arrive.
Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson Jason Evans said at least five residents were transported to area hospitals with injuries. It remained unclear Thursday evening exactly how many people lived in the complex, located just south of downtown Dallas, where a towering plume of black smoke could be seen for miles.
Evans did not rule out the possibility of additional victims as crews continued sifting through the charred debris. By late Thursday, firefighters had manually searched less than half of the structure, and officials said excavation equipment would be needed to fully comb through the wreckage.
“This was enormous,” Evans said of the blaze.
The explosion, which rattled nearby homes and sent debris flying, unfolded as dozens of firefighters swarmed the neighborhood. Some residents’ friends and family members grew anxious after failing to reach loved ones. Firefighters continued to drench smoldering rubble while colleagues searched for anyone trapped beneath collapsed walls and beams.
Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry told reporters that crews had been dispatched to investigate a potential gas leak moments before the blast. “We had the cavalry coming,” Berry said. “But the explosion had already taken place.”
Atmos Energy, the natural gas provider serving the area, said in a statement that fire officials informed the company a construction crew — not affiliated with Atmos — had damaged a pipeline near the explosion site. The company added that natural gas service to the area had been shut off and that its personnel were cooperating with investigators on-site.
Resident Kacee Proctor said her mother had smelled gas inside the building a day earlier, but Proctor didn't think much of it at the time. Proctor, who was not home during the blast, was devastated to learn her cat, Shirley, was still inside. “I’ve been sitting over there crying for several hours. I don’t know what to do. This is all I have right here,” she said, gesturing to the clothes she was wearing.
Proctor spent the afternoon talking with neighbors who had evacuated, including a teenage girl who was babysitting her little sister and managed to carry both the child and their dog to safety.
Authorities set up a family reunification center at a nearby high school. Hours after the fire, Frances Rizo was still trying to locate her friend who lived in the building. “She’s not answering her phone,” Rizo said.
The fire left little more than a blackened shell of the original structure. Firefighters trained hoses on piles of smoking debris, while others pulled away lumber and wreckage to check for anyone trapped underneath. Dallas Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief James Russ said the fire was contained, but crews were still conducting primary searches.
Residents described hearing a deafening blast. Julie Jensen, who lives less than a block from the burning building, said she was sitting on her couch watching TV when “stuff flew off our walls” and her ears began ringing. She grabbed her cat and fled to a nearby parking lot to wait for an all-clear.
Sal De La Rosa, who works at a nearby auto repair shop, said he and his co-workers “all of a sudden just heard and felt this huge boom.” He said the building shook, and soon thick black smoke filled the sky.
The incident comes amid ongoing concerns about aging infrastructure and construction safety in urban areas. The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, along with the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is investigating the cause of the explosion and fire.
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