Apparent explosion sparks house fire, evacuations in Lake Dallas: "It felt like an airplane hit my house"

Firefighters battled a house fire in Lake Dallas on Thursday evening after an apparent explosion tore through a home and forced nearby residents to evacuate. 

Shortly after 7 p.m., neighbors in the 600 block of Moseley Street reported a loud blast before flames erupted from the structure.

Images from the scene showed debris scattered across the yard.

Firefighters expanded the perimeter after arriving, moving residents out of several surrounding homes as a precaution.

Neighbors describe blast that shook homes  

Amanda Hughes said the explosion left her shaken and scared, describing it as the loudest boom she had ever heard.

"It felt like an airplane hit my house," Hughes said.

She said she ran outside immediately, becoming the first person on her street to look for the source before neighbors joined her.

Another neighbor, Ricardo Morales, said he was resting in his bedroom when his brother came in, ready to go to the pool, and they heard an "explosion from underneath, like the house."

"We started looking out the windows," Morales said. "We didn't know what to expect."

Morales said firefighters and police showed up in "probably a matter of five minutes or less."

"It looked like chaotic," Morales said. "... It was like a storm came and just went away quick."

Gym owner Richard Lox said he heard a "big boom" that "shook the whole gym" while he was helping one of the employees in the boxing store.

"I thought someone had crashed into the building," Lox said. "I ran around to the back… then I ran around to the front and the side, and then I seen all the smoke and the fire."

Lox mentioned gas leaks earlier in the week because "they're redoing the roads, and they hit a couple gas lines."

"I'm not for sure if anyone's starting rumors about it, but I have concern that maybe it had something to do with that," Lox said.

Recent gas line strikes heighten concern  

The incident comes just two days after two separate natural gas line strikes elsewhere in Lake Dallas triggered major closures and evacuations near City Hall.

Atmos Energy has not confirmed any connection between Thursday's apparent explosion and the earlier gas leaks. Company crews are on scene as part of the response.

In a statement, Atmos Energy said it responded at about 7:45 p.m. after the Lake Dallas Fire Department reported the incident. The company said technicians are working with fire crews and emergency management personnel as the investigation continues.

"We will continue to provide support to first responders and additional information as the response progresses," the company said.

Atmos also urged anyone who suspects a natural gas leak to leave the area immediately and, from a safe distance, call 911 and its 24‑hour emergency line at (866) 322‑8667.

Meanwhile, fire investigators are expected to examine whether natural gas played a role.

Roads around Moseley Street were closed as firefighters continued to extinguish hot spots and secure the area.