Nearly a month after deadly explosion, apartment residents still waiting for gas service

Judge orders Atmos Energy to preserve evidence as residents near the blast site say they are running out of answers.

Nearly a month after a deadly apartment explosion in Oak Cliff, residents at a neighboring apartment complex say they are still living without gas service and have received few answers about when it will be restored.

People living at the Bonnie Apartments on East Eighth Street say daily life has become increasingly difficult in the 26 days since the explosion at the nearby Clyde Apartments.

"We gotta take cold showers. I might want to fix something on my oven, and I can't do it," one resident said.

The Bonnie Apartments are located just yards from the Clyde Apartments, where the explosion occurred.

For many residents, cooking now means relying on small appliances.

"Just gonna do like I've been doing. I got me a little plug-up skillet, and it cooks, and I got me a little microwave, and it I can just warm my food up," resident Dora Lee Woods said.

Woods said some repairs have been made at the property, including window replacements. However, she questioned the quality of the work.

"Look. It's still weak. And this is new. And this is new? Yes," Woods said while discussing a recently replaced window.

Residents said they have received little information about when gas service will return.

"They haven't told us anything. Ain't nobody told us anything about we're going to fix y'all gas. Ain't nobody doing anything about it," Woods said.

Many residents have turned to hot plates, crock pots, and microwaves while waiting for service to be restored. Ovens have been pulled away from walls and disconnected as a precaution.

Some families have decided to leave.

Others say moving is not financially possible.

"I can't move because we don't have the money to move," one resident said.

"We don't have money to go nowhere. We have to put gas in the truck. We can't go far," another resident said.

Among those affected is Rodney Brown, who has been recognized locally for rescuing a young girl following the explosion.

"It's very hard," Brown said.

"We can't cook a basic hot meal," he added.

The frustrations come as Atmos Energy faces increased scrutiny related to the explosion.

On Monday, a judge ordered Atmos Energy to preserve evidence connected to the blast after a survivor alleged the company was responsible for multiple failures.

In a statement, Atmos Energy said it is working to restore service to the Bonnie Apartments.

"Atmos Energy is actively working to restore service to the property at 308 East 8th Street, however a gas line not owned by Atmos Energy requires repair and testing before we can complete gas service restoration. The best source of information about the status of those repairs is with the building's management," the company said.

Property records indicate the Clyde Apartments and the Bonnie Apartments are owned by the same person and managed by the same company.

NBC 5 reached out to ownership and management, but had not received a response.

In the meantime, nonprofits, churches and volunteers have stepped in to help residents cope with the ongoing disruption.

Still, many residents say they are looking for answers from those responsible for maintaining safe and livable conditions.

"Everybody is saying that they want to get out of here. Just want to get out of here," Woods said.