Man critically injured when home explodes in Westworth Village; 5 other homes damaged

Fort Worth firefighters and Atmos Energy are investigating what caused an explosion that destroyed a home and critically injured a man Thursday morning in the 5600 block of Watters Place in Westworth Village.

The blast caused structural damage that left five other houses on the street uninhabitable, a city official said at about 5 p.m. Thursday after building inspectors visited the homes.

Other residents on Watters Place can return to their homes now that street cleanup has been completed and utility service has been restored to the houses that weren’t damaged, according to the city.

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A CareFlite helicopter flew the burn victim to Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where he remained in critical condition Thursday evening. Authorities said no one else was in the house at the time of the explosion. One other resident in the area was being treated for minor injuries.

Atmos Energy technicians responded to help with the investigation, but Fort Worth Fire Battalion Chief James McAmis said, “Honestly it’s too soon to say that it had anything to do with gas at all.”

Atmos said its technicians were “working closely with emergency responders to verify the area is safe.”

In an updated statement Thursday afternoon, Atmos said, “Our preliminary investigation has confirmed our system is operating normally. We will continue to work with law enforcement and all officials in support of their investigation.”

In cases where a resident smells a natural gas buildup inside their home, they should immediately leave the house and call 911 from a safe distance, McAmis said. Atmos Energy’s 24-hour toll-free emergency number is 866-322-8667.

The call came in to the fire department shortly after 7:30 a.m. There wasn’t much fire, McAmis said, but the explosion obliterated the one-story wood-frame house and shattered windows at neighboring homes. Wood and other debris was thrown into the street and neighbors’ yards.

Firefighters searched to see of anyone else was trapped in the debris and rescued an injured dog from the destroyed home. One firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Westworth Village is a small Tarrant County city on the west side of Fort Worth. It doesn’t have its own fire department and contracts with the Fort Worth department for service.

Residents in the area said that they heard a loud boom and felt the explosion shake their houses. The fire department said it could be felt a couple of miles away.

Heather Cargin, who lives about five blocks from the scene, told the Star-Telegram that she was getting ready to take her kids to school when they felt the vibration. At first, she thought something might have happened at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, which is about a mile away.

“Pictures came off my wall,” Cargin said. “It was very loud. I went outside, kept my kids inside because of course I didn’t know what was going on and all the neighbors were outside too wondering what happened.”

Teachers at her children’s school also felt the blast, and after dropping off her kids, Cargin drove to the scene to find out what happened.

A close neighbor, Codi Tanksley, told WFAA-TV that the explosion felt like “literally an earthquake.”

“It shook everything around us ... and all I saw was one of our neighbors running into the house and they were dragging somebody out of the house,” Tanksley told WFAA. “A lot of windows busted out. I think the foundation is shifted off of my house. It’s just unbelievable. Everybody is shaken up by this whole incident.”

“Their front door is on the hood of my 4Runner and their tree that was in their front yard is on the side of my roof,” Tanksley told KDFW-TV.

Craig Strain told KDFW that he rushed into the wreckage of the house to help his neighbor.

“There was a fella standing in the middle of the house just screaming,” Strain said. “I started talking to him and asked him if he was OK. He said he didn’t know. I said, ‘Well hang on, I’ll get you out of here.’”

White Settlement Police Chief Chris Cook wrote on Twitter that some residents evacuated the immediate area “out of an abundance of caution.”

White Settlement police were assisting Westworth Village police and Fort Worth firefighters at the scene.

The electricity was turned off, and authorities told residents they could go to the police station. The natural gas also was shut off as a precaution.

In a message to parents, Burton Hill Elementary School Principal Matthew Bradford wrote that, “We are aware of a reported home explosion near our campus. No immediate effects are evident at our campus. For precautionary measures, district Safety and Security as well as Operations personnel will be assessing the campus and surrounding area. Please know your child’s safety is our top priority and if you have any questions, let us know.”

The Red Cross is assisting the residents whose homes were damaged.

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