Residents of a Dallas neighborhood were caught in the blast radius of an explosion on Thanksgiving Day.
A gas pipe explosion in a local Dallas home left a house and all of its contents largely destroyed. One of the homeowners, Vanessa Escobar, had been inside her home with nine other people, including her two babies and mother. They were celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday when the explosion occurred shortly after 5 p.m., according to WFAA.
The house was reportedly located on Wofford Avenue in southeastern Dallas. A neighbor’s backyard security camera captured footage of the explosion.
A fireball can briefly be seen on the other side of a backyard fence before the loud blast unsteadies the camera and kills the feed.
Keily López, Escobar’s 15-year-old daughter, posted two GoFundMe pages to help her loved ones recover from the incident. Images posted on the website reveal the extent of the damage done to the home, showcasing broken glass, scattered belongings, and obliterated walls and windows.
“My parents don’t have the money they need for reconstruction, and we don’t have anywhere to sleep right now,” said López, per the GoFundMe page. “It’s 7 of us who live there, including 2 babies and 5 adults, and we have 4 pets as well. Any help is a lot for us, God bless you!”
Francisco, a family friend who had been living in the nearby guesthouse, suffered multiple second-degree burns and remains in the hospital. A second GoFundMe has been set up to help with his medical expenses. Images of Francisco posted to the GoFundMe site show the blistered burns across his face.
“[Francisco] doesn’t have any family, he lived with my parents for the past 3 years so we are his only family,” said López. “He lost all his belongings, food, clothes, and money in the explosion.”
No other occupants in the house or guesthouse were injured in the explosion.
“The most important thing is Francisco right now,” said Escobar, according to WFAA.
The GoFundMe to help with home expenses currently has 23 donations and has amassed $1,875 of its $12,000 goal, while the page to help with Francisco’s medical expenses has 54 donations and has accumulated $3,640 of its $10,000 goal.
The Dallas Express reached out to Dallas Fire-Rescue for more information about the incident, but no reply was received by press time.
