SAN ANTONIO – Barriers on Preston Hollow Drive have been moved back, but part of the North Side street is still blocked off. This is where the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into two home explosions.
The explosions happened on Tuesday night. In total, five people were hurt. The latest update on Thursday revealed three of those victims were still in critical condition.
While the focus right now is on what caused the blasts, Texas attorney Michael Lyons is already looking ahead and raising concerns about what comes next.
“This is a recurring issue that exists in not just Texas,” Lyons said. “Gas infrastructure can be really dangerous.”
“I handle a lot of cases involving gas explosions nationwide,” Lyons said. “When there’s a gas explosion, my phone usually rings.”
At this time, Lyons, who is a partner at the Dallas firm Lyons & Simmons, is not directly connected to this case. But he has represented families here in the city with very similar stories.
“We tried the case in February of 2025 that resulted in a big verdict against CPS (Energy),” Lyons said.
He’s talking about Virginia Rymers and her son Robert. KSAT previously reported they survived a 2021 natural gas explosion at their East Side home but became severely injured as a result.
On Thursday, KSAT built a map showing all the house and apartment explosions we’ve covered since 2020.
One of Lyons’ biggest concerns is making sure the homes are not demolished on Preston Hollow Drive before the investigation is complete. A spokesperson with San Antonio’s Development Services Department confirmed to KSAT on Thursday that “nothing will be done until the investigation is completed.”
“The city and the taxpayers ought to know what happened and why and who is responsible,” Lyons said.
CPS Energy sent KSAT an updated statement just before 10 p.m. on Thursday, where a spokesperson for the utility said for the first time, “Electric and gas services in the Preston Hollow subdivision are clear and safe.”
Marc Whyte, the District 10 councilman, said his office and the city are currently working on creating a website to give out updates on the investigation as they become available.
CPS Energy will keep its customer response unit at the Northeast Senior Center through Sunday.
CPS Energy said if any customers at any point smell gas, they should leave the house immediately and call CPS Energy at 210-353-HELP (4357) or 911.
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