Two Northeast Side residents involved in last week’s natural gas-related incident in the Preston Hollow neighborhood have filed a lawsuit against CPS Energy, alleging they were told it was safe to return home following the first explosion before a second blast in their home severely injured them.
A pair of explosions occurred April 21 in a neighborhood near Thousand Oaks Drive. The first blast was reported just after 6 p.m., injuring two adults and a teen. A second explosion occurred roughly two hours later at a nearby home while firefighters were still on scene, injuring the two plaintiffs.
In a lawsuit filed April 27 in Bexar County district court, the plaintiffs claim CPS Energy’s negligence led to a natural gas leak that accumulated inside their home and ignited, causing a “violent explosion” and fire.
According to the petition, plaintiffs Mayte Terrie Reeves and Jose Ochoa evacuated their home on Preston Hollow Drive after the initial explosion at a neighboring residence. They were later told it was safe to return, the lawsuit alleges.
“Unknown to plaintiffs, natural gas had leaked underground from a CPS Energy line and had formed a volatile gas cloud inside [their] residence,” the filing states.
After returning home, the gas ignited, triggering a second explosion that caused serious injuries, according to the lawsuit.
The couple alleges CPS Energy failed to properly inspect, maintain and monitor its natural gas infrastructure and failed to detect and address hazardous conditions that led to the explosion. The lawsuit also claims CPS personnel told them it was safe to return when it was not.
The lawsuit further alleges gross negligence and seeks exemplary damages. Plaintiffs are seeking more than $1 million each in damages, including for physical impairment, medical expenses, lost income and mental anguish.
A spokesperson for CPS Energy said the utility could not comment on active litigation but has maintained a presence in the neighborhood in the days since the explosions, assisting residents with recovery efforts.
In a statement, CPS said its Customer Response Unit has been operating out of the Northeast Senior Center, helping residents relight gas service, answer questions and coordinate debris cleanup.
At Monday’s CPS Energy board meeting, CPS Energy President and CEO Rudy Garza said most residents were able to return to their homes the day after the incident, though several homes closest to the blast site remained impacted.
“Our thoughts continue to also be with the impacted residents in the Preston Hollow subdivision, and our focus remains solely on supporting them,” Garza said. “The safety arc of our community and our crews is our priority as we continue to conduct this work, and we appreciate their understanding.”
Garza added that the National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the April 21 explosions.
“We are doing everything we can to be cooperative with the NTSB as part of this process,” he said. “Updates on this investigation will come from the NTSB.”
In a statement, NTSB officials said the investigation is in its early stages and will examine factors including the pipeline system, maintenance records and operating procedures. The agency does not determine a cause during the initial phase as investigators gather evidence.
The agency is expected to release a preliminary report in the next 30 days. The preliminary report will only include factual findings from the initial phase of the investigation.
The final accident investigation report is expected to be completed in 12 to 24 months and will include the probable cause for the accident and any contributing factors.
The incident has also prompted city officials to call for a special session to review emergency response coordination between CPS Energy and public safety agencies; that meeting is expected to take place next month.
