SAN ANTONIO – The type of explosions believed to be related to gas leaks that ripped through two North Side homes Tuesday are not exactly unusual occurrences.
There have been several other cases across the region in recent years, and one local expert says they usually come with warning signs.
“There are telltale signs. Usually this doesn’t just happen just instantaneously,” said Mario Zepeda with A&A Plumbing, Heating and Cooling. “The noise, the smells or even the gas company might say you’re using a large amount of gas.”
Zepeda said when there is a gas leak, there may be a hissing sound. In other cases, a rotten egg smell might be an indication.
The Schertz company that employs him offers gas-related home inspections and makes repairs to those systems.
Zepeda said technicians usually start by isolating the source of the leak, then replace the damaged parts.
He said gas leaks are serious and can escalate into an even bigger problem quickly.
“If you have a gas leak, if you don’t know where the shutoffs are, the best thing to do is to step out of the building, call the fire department,” he said.
The back-to-back explosions Tuesday at the homes on Preston Hollow Drive are still under investigation. However, firefighters at the scene indicated that they were related to gas leaks.
Five people were hospitalized with injuries.
Other incidents in San Antonio and beyond recently have resulted in property loss, injuries and even one death.
Back in July 2024, a work crew accidentally punctured an underground gas line in Floresville, triggering an explosion. One woman’s home was leveled and several other homes sustained damage.
No one was injured in that incident.
However, last June, a man suffered serious burns when his home on San Antonio’s Northwest Side exploded.
Neighbors told KSAT 12 News at the time that there had been an odor of gas in that area of Laurel Bend, not far from Loop 1604 and Bowen’s Crossing.
In another explosion in Schertz, a woman had to be rescued from her burning home by neighbors.
She died from her injuries a few months later, according to those neighbors.
“It’s a memory every time I look,” Eric Gerth told KSAT 12 News on Wednesday, while glancing toward the ruins.
Gerth was one of several people who dug through debris to reach that woman last October. He described her as being in a state of shock.
“She had a broom in her hand, trying to sweep, because she had no idea what was going on,” he recalled.
Gerth, who is a U.S. Navy veteran, described the incident as being similar to explosions he saw in battle.
He said in the hours leading up to the explosion next door to his home, he and others had noticed the smell of gas.
To keep situations like that from becoming even more dangerous, Zepeda recommends taking quick action.
He said homeowners should immediately shut off the valves on gas appliances if possible and call for help right away.
The last thing anyone should do in the event of a gas leak, Zepeda said, is to ignite a spark.
He said lighting a cigarette or even flipping a light switch could lead to disastrous results.
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