SAN ANTONIO – As the investigation continues into home explosions last Tuesday night on San Antonio’s North Side, some major questions remain unanswered surrounding the incident.
Preston Hollow Drive remains blocked off by San Antonio Police Department barricades, located near Thousand Oaks Drive. This ongoing situation has left residents anxious and uncertain about their safety and the cause of the explosions.
District 10 Councilmember Marc Whyte, who represents the neighborhood, spent Sunday with residents in the subdivision, some of whom still may not return home as crews work diligently to determine the cause of the explosions. “People have questions,” Whyte said. “People want to know if they’re safe in their homes, people want to know what happened.”
Six households remain evacuated nearly a week after the explosions. Whyte stated that the residents are being housed in Airbnbs in the meantime, emphasizing the urgency of ensuring their safety. “I wish I could answer that,” he commented regarding their return home, “but we don’t want anybody moving back into their homes when the home hasn’t been deemed to be structurally sound.”
While Whyte acknowledged the limitations in answering some of the residents’ questions, he directed them to a page on his website that includes frequently asked questions and contact information for further concerns. “It’s about getting them whatever else we can,” he added, noting that his office has established a designated point of contact with CPS Energy to schedule gas line inspections for residents seeking reassurance.
Residents in the Preston Hollow subdivision may contact the CPS Energy Customer Response Unit for home checks and debris cleanup by emailing cru@cpsenergy.com or calling 210-353-2783.
However, some residents feel that the cleanup efforts have not been progressing quickly enough. “We’re also going to talk to the Solid Waste Department with the city,” Whyte noted, expressing his commitment to ensuring that the cleanup is expedited. “I’m sure those good folks will come out here as soon as possible to help with the cleanup.”
Whyte is optimistic about securing assurances from city entities such as CPS Energy “sooner rather than later” to help residents feel safe. “Transparency is paramount,” he remarked, indicating that conversations with relevant entities will take place in the coming weeks.
“They need to talk with themselves as well, and I need to be briefed as to how those conversations went,” Whyte said, reinforcing his commitment to keeping residents informed. “We will get that information. It will come to me, and I’ll get it to my residents.”
CPS Energy has reported assisting more than two dozen customers since the explosions occurred and will continue to maintain a presence in the Preston Hollow area. For residents concerned about gas leaks, Whyte’s office and CPS Energy advise leaving the house immediately if a strong odor of gas is detected—characterized by a smell similar to rotten eggs—without turning on or off any electrical switches, and to call 911 from a neighbor’s home.
