The explosion and subsequent fire Thursday in north Oak Cliff left at least five others injured and many displaced from their homes.
By Elissa Jorgensen,Staff Writer
Shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, the city of Dallas issued an all-clear for the scene of Thursday’s fatal Oak Cliff blast. Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball assured the community that “everyone had been accounted for” later the same day.
The explosion and subsequent fire in the 400 block of East 9th Street left three dead, at least five injured and many displaced from their homes. It took over 100 firefighters — who responded to the scene within two minutes — to put out the five-alarm fire and begin rescue operations.
Though officials have not publicly identified the three fatalities, friends, family and donation sites have named them as Marisol Pérez and her 18-month-old son Erik Pérez Jr. along with Dallas County Democratic precinct chair Sylvia Collins.
Pérez and her son have been unaccounted for since the blast shook the Oak Cliff community, though family members told NBC5 Pérez’s daughter was able to escape the burning building with minor injuries.
Maria Guadalupe Lopez, Pérez’s sister, said the loss happened so quickly and unexpectedly that the family is still struggling to understand. “I’m just going to miss her so much. I can’t believe she’s gone,” Lopez said.
A GoFundMe was started to help cover funeral costs for the Pérez family, and as of Saturday morning, over $7,000 have been raised.
“Any help, no matter how small, will be of great support to our family at this very difficult time,” Guadalupe Villa, Pérez’s cousin, wrote in a Facebook post.
Collins was remembered by friends and other community advocates as a kind, passionate woman who brought “unwavering commitment” to everything she did.
“We’re going to miss her greatly,” State Rep. Jessica González said at a vigil Friday night. “Nobody could ever replace Sylvia Collins.”
Community members gathered to honor those lost and provide support and companionship to those who were grieving. Many gave emotional speeches about Collins, while others gathered around tables decorated with candles, flowers and heartfelt posters to pray.
As of Saturday afternoon, The Dallas Morning News had contacted multiple people from the Collins and Pérez families by text, call and social media message but had not heard back.
Many who survived the explosion, including residents Dumonique Douglas, her 19-year-old daughter and Jermaine Hatches, 45, consider themselves lucky. Douglas told The News she acted on pure adrenaline to escape unscathed, while Hatches said he didn’t arrive until after the complex had burnt down.
Officials said Friday afternoon they were working to provide a long-term housing solution to those who have been displaced in hopes of sparing them from further financial burden.
Sparse but chilling details in a report show that the firm overseeing a soil analysis at the site of the explosion reported a drilling company damaged a gas line near the building.
Texas811 records reviewed by The News indicate the damage was caused by a rig boring for soil samples. ECS Limited, a national engineering consulting firm with an office in Carrollton, reported the issue.
Austin-based O-SDA Industries had plans to buy the Oak Cliff property to build low-income housing for seniors. Megan Lasch, the company’s president, said she hired ECS to provide a geotechnical report, in which engineers analyze soil, rock and groundwater conditions before designing foundations.
An ECS Limited spokesperson told The News in an email that none of its employees were on site at the time of the explosion. They declined to comment further.
City, state and federal departments have now entered the investigation stage, with a team of eight investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board leading the way. The NTSB will release a preliminary report based on human factors, the pipeline system, and the operating environment.
Staff writers Jamie Landers and Michael Cuviello contributed to this report.
Breaking News Reporter
Elissa Jorgensen is a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. She is a graduate of Texas State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in mass communication. Elissa previously reported for the Houston Chronicle and Texas Community Health News.
