June 9, 2026
Bellingham, WA – On April 21, two houses exploded within hours of each other in San Antonio, Texas. The explosions injured five residents and a CPS Energy employee. A recent preliminary investigation report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that only one of the two houses actively received gas service.
In reaction to this report, Pipeline Safety Trust issued the following statement:
The initial evidence uncovered by the NTSB seems to indicate that if natural gas alarms had been installed in the homes on Preston Hollow Drive, some of these injuries could have been avoided.
The timeline is damning. The first home exploded at 6:04 p.m. CPS Energy arrived at 6:32 p.m. and detected the leak in a neighboring service line by 6:50 p.m. The second home, with people inside, exploded at 8:25 p.m., roughly 90 minutes after the leak had been identified. CPS Energy did not isolate the leak until 1:40 a.m. the next morning, more than seven hours after arriving on scene. Residents were in nearby homes that entire time. Who made the decision to leave them there and why must be a central question of this investigation.
This scenario further illuminates the importance of installing natural gas alarms in all structures located within the general area of gas distribution systems, as it is possible for gas to migrate underground into buildings that do not receive gas service. During gas migration, sometimes the gas’s smell or odorant is stripped, however natural gas alarms can still sense the presence of methane despite this.
Since the 1970s, the NTSB has called for natural gas alarms, also known as in-home methane detectors. Half a century later, the federal government still does not require them, and homes like the ones on Preston Hollow Drive keep exploding. Pipeline Safety Trust wants to see natural gas alarms mandated at the federal level for all structures that not only receive gas service, but for all structures in an area where gas service is supplied. In the case of these homes in San Antonio, a natural gas alarm could have alerted occupants to the presence of gas before it reached explosive levels, ideally prompting an evacuation of the premises.
Natural gas alarms are an inexpensive solution to a problem that we see all too often. The broad adoption and installation of these important pieces of technology would save lives.
For More Information Contact: Kenneth Clarkson , Communications Director –
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