A family affected by April’s Preston Hollow explosions is suing CPS Energy, alleging negligence and claiming the company ignored known gas system threats, resulting
SAN ANTONIO — One of the families whose home exploded on Preston Hollow on April 21 is suing CPS Energy for damages involved in injuries and loss of property.
Wednesday, KENS 5 obtained the lawsuit filed by the family of the second of two home explosions. It accuses CPS Energy of “grievous failures” and being aware of dangerous conditions that existed leading up to the explosions.
The descriptive lawsuit paints the picture of a terrifying night for residence in the area. The opening paragraph of the suit reads in part: “The sudden violence, the fire, the confusion and the horrifying realization that the place where you are meant to feel safest has become lethally dangerous.”
The home explosions have been described by federal investigators as “natural gas‑fueled.” The first blast happened around 6 p.m. April 21 in the Preston Hollow neighborhood, leaving three people injured with burns, including a child. Then, around 8:15 p.m., a second explosion struck a home two doors down, injuring two more people, a man and a woman.
The lawsuit lays the blame at the energy company for not addressing ongoing issues.
“The tragedy of this event is compounded by the fact that it was entirely preventable. The Explosion was the result of CPS Energy’s poorly maintained, leaking, and deteriorating natural gas system, a dangerous problem of which CPS Energy is well aware,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit makes the point that the negligence extends even further due to the victim’s house being the second one to explode within a couple of hours that night. There was no evacuation ordered of the street after the first home explosion.
“In light of the first explosion (in addition to the knowledge that CPS Energy had at its disposal before the first explosion but failed to act on and/or consciously disregarded), CPS Energy knew that a specific and ongoing threat existed within its gas distribution system in Plaintiffs’ neighborhood on April 21,” the lawsuit continued.
The National Transportation and Safety Board is also investigating why no evacuations were issued before the second home exploded two hours after the first home.
KENS 5 has reached out to the City of San Antonio and CPS Energy for a comment. We have yet to hear back.
You can read the full lawsuit here.