Five Westworth Village families are staying in a hotel because their homes have been compromised after an explosion on their street Thursday morning.
WESTWORTH VILLAGE, Texas — The investigation continues into a Tarrant County home explosion.
Early Thursday morning, the home at 5600 Watters place in Westworth Village blew up, leaving one man critically injured with burns on 75% of his body.
The impact of the explosion left five homes uninhabitable. Those families returned to their homes on Friday to grab more belongings. They are staying in a hotel and receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
Marilyn Hilo told WFAA she relocated to Westworth Village about one year ago. She and her family live two houses away from the explosion. She said she could feel the force of the blast, which occurred a few minutes after she woke up to use the restroom.
“It’s pretty substantial, mostly from the neck to the waist, just the whole body is sore. But, you know, took some ibuprofen and just going to kind of keep on going. I’m not really going to go see a doctor that costs a lot of money,” Hilo said.
Hilo said her home received significant damage.
“In both bedrooms, the ceilings are cracked from, you know, from the wall to where the fixtures meet in the center of the rooms. So the blast, you know, blew out the vent from the bathroom. There’s debris in all the rooms,” she told WFAA.
“Every day is a blessing,” Hilo said. “You got to make the best of every situation.”
Atmos Energy technician returned to the Watters place Friday and checked underground lines. The company has already ruled its systems did not cause the explosion.
ATF and arson investigators have not said what caused the blast.