What we know about the North Side home explosions that hospitalized 5

SAN ANTONIO – Three of five people are hospitalized in critical condition after multiple home explosions Tuesday night in a North Side neighborhood, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.

A University Health spokesperson told KSAT on Wednesday morning one of the three critically injured is a child. The hospital’s trauma unit is treating the child for burns suffered in the first explosion.

Crews responded to the initial fire around 6 p.m. in the 15000 block of Preston Hollow Drive, which is located near Thousand Oaks Drive.

Around 8:30 p.m., however, KSAT crews heard a loud “boom” and saw flames shooting out of a second home nearby.

District: North East ISD teacher among the injured

Two adults and one child suffered burns and were hospitalized after the first explosion. Two additional adults were hospitalized as a result of the second explosion.

Three of the five hospitalized are in critical condition, SAFD Chief Valerie Frausto told reporters on Tuesday night. Among the critically injured is the child injured in the first explosion.

One of the those hospitalized is a MacArthur High School teacher, a North East Independent School District spokesperson told KSAT on Wednesday.

SAFD’s response

The first fire was extinguished “very quickly” and was likely related to a natural gas buildup, the fire department said.

The first house sustained significant damage and will likely be demolished.

In all, 10 homes along Preston Hollow Drive were evacuated following the explosions, Frausto said.

Temporary shelter available for displaced residents

A temporary shelter has been set up at the Northeast Senior Center at 4135 Thousand Oaks Drive.

CPS Energy said its Customer Response Unit will be available at the shelter to answer questions starting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

CPS Energy said it shut off power in the area to keep customers safe. As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, outages are affecting five customers in the area.

Click here for the latest update on power outages.

In a statement Tuesday night, District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte, whose district includes Preston Hollow Drive, said, “CPS will work with all displaced people on hotel costs.”

“Any displaced residents should call our office tomorrow and we will help them be reimbursed,” Whyte said.

If anyone thinks they smell gas in their homes, CPS Energy said they should leave their house immediately and call CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357) or 911.

More coverage of this story on KSAT:

• 5 hospitalized, 3 in critical condition, after home explosions on North Side, SAFD says