SAN ANTONIO — Three houses were severely damaged after a gas explosion in Floresville Tuesday afternoon, according to Wilson County officials
A local gas company responded to a call for a gas main break around 2 p.m. in the area of H Street and 9th Street.
Crews were laying fiber lines for communications company, Rise Broadband, when the crew hit a gas main and the gas may have backed up into a home causing an explosion, city officials said. Rockport Construction was the subcontractor installing the fiber lines for Rise Broadband.
When emergency crews arrived they discovered three homes damaged with one currently in flames.
Officials said the homes were unoccupied at the time of the explosion, and no injuries have been reported.
The woman living inside the home where the explosion occurred told KENS 5 off camera she was thankful to be alive and that no one was hurt.
A man who lives down the street was outside when it happened.
"I'm watching the men work over there and all of a sudden, a big explosion," Joe Carillo said. "I mean it was a big explosion."
He said the explosion caused his bedroom window to shatter. He ran inside to his wife, who was woken up by it.
"I went like in shock because I never witnessed nothing like this is my 67 years of living," Carillo said.
City Manager Andy Joslin said he felt it over at city hall. He said they immediately called in several agencies to keep the situation under control.
"It was an accident," Joslin said. "Fortunately, our public safety officials took the precautions needed to prevent the loss of life."
The Floresville Event Center was open to anyone who was evacuated and needed shelter.
FELPS is working to restore any lost services, city officials said.
Rise Broadband released the following statement:
"Our company was made aware that a gas line was compromised by a construction crew installing fiber lines near Floresville, Texas at approximately 2:00PM today. We learned that an explosion followed, and a house was damaged near H and J streets in Floresville. Our company has deployed management team members to the scene. We are fully cooperating with the city, local public works, and officials as they conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. We are very grateful to the first responders who answered the initial call and that there were no injuries or loss of life reported."
The Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident.
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