SAN ANTONIO – An explosion and fire inside a Northwest Side home left a man who lived there with serious injuries.
It happened late Saturday night on Laurel Bend, not far from Loop 1604 and Bowens Crossing.
Battalion Chief Christopher Valdez with the San Antonio Fire Department told KSAT that the man was in his living room lighting a cigarette when his home exploded and burst into flames.
The man, who rented the home, had about 45% to 50% burns on his upper torso, Valdez said. He was still being treated at a hospital as of Tuesday morning.
Valdez, who responded to the incident over the weekend, returned to the neighborhood on Tuesday to assess the condition of the home and determine when it might be torn down.
A note posted outside the front door warned that it would present a danger to anyone who tried to enter it.
Valdez said arson investigators were still working to determine what caused the explosion. However, people in the neighborhood already have begun drawing their own conclusions.
A crew in a CPS Energy truck carrying a “vapor extraction unit” only added to their suspicions that a gas leak may be to blame.
One neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous said he initially dismissed the sound of the explosion as other trouble.
“I felt that it was maybe a transformer until I heard the sirens,” he said.
Later, when he found out what really happened, he said his mind instantly went to talk he had heard previously about a gas leak in the area.
The neighbor said he was told despite complaints being made about it, the problem was never addressed. He said he no longer feels safe.
“It’s one of those things where now, it’s like, who’s next?” he said. “They need to figure out a solution.”
Another neighbor who lives a few doors down from the home that exploded said she occasionally would smell gas there.
This is at least the second home in the neighborhood to explode. In 2018, KSAT covered another incident a few streets away, on South Bend, in which two children suffered minor injuries.
CPS Energy provided the following statement to KSAT on Tuesday:
“We are currently investigating this incident. The safety of our customers and our employees is a top priority for CPS Energy. If any customer thinks they smell gas in their homes, they should leave the house immediately and call CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357) or, for emergencies, call 911. Customers in the immediate vicinity of this incident were evacuated for their safety, and CPS Energy is providing housing for them until they can safely return home.
“CPS Energy has no further comment on this matter because a lawsuit was filed on Monday.”
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