Texas home explodes on Thanksgiving Day, blast caught on camera

Shortly after 5 p.m., Dallas Fire Rescue responded to multiple 911 calls regarding an explosion on Wofford Avenue in Southeast Dallas.

DALLAS — Shortly after 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving, Dallas Fire Rescue responded to multiple 911 calls regarding an explosion on Wofford Avenue in Southeast Dallas.

Vanessa Escobar, one of the homeowners, met with WFAA on Sunday.

“It was hard…. it’s been hard these days,” Escobar said.

Escobar was inside her home with nine other people celebrating the holiday, including her mother and two babies.

They were unharmed, but Francisco, her family friend who lives with her, was badly burned.

“The most important thing is Francisco right now,” she said.

The explosion, Escobar explained, happened right by the guest house where Francisco lives.

From his hospital bed, and in Spanish, Francisco says he’s in brutal pain. By the time he realized the house was gone, everything of his was gone: his furniture, clothing, shoes and savings.

On top of that, Escobar told WFAA that Fransisco does not have health insurance either.

Escobar’s 15-year-old daughter, Keily, started two fundraising campaigns. The first for Francisco’s medical and personal expenses.

“He doesn’t have anybody, we’re his only family…he doesn’t have nothing,” she said.

The second, to help her parents rebuild their home, and pay for temporary housing until it’s safe to return.

“I know my parents are not gonna be able to afford all the bills,” she told WFAA. “It’s hard seeing my mom down, you know? I know she’s always wanted the house…it was our first [house ever]… And we worked hard for it.”

Escobar said she has no clue why her house exploded or who is to blame.

“I would like to know what happened…because right now I don’t really know,” Escobar said.

Atmos Energy, the natural gas provider, said in a statement that its technicians responded to the scene and found their systems “operating normally.”

“We have found no evidence that our system was involved,” the Atmos statement said. “Our thoughts are with those injured and impacted by this event. We will continue to assist Dallas Fire-Rescue and all officials in support of their investigation.”

Francisco’s GoFundMe can be found here. The Escobar family’s GoFundMe can be found here.