AUSTIN, Texas — A house exploded in northwest Austin Sunday morning, destroying the residence and damaging 24 neighboring properties. The explosion occurred around 11:23 a.m., with residents across Austin and surrounding cities reporting they heard the loud boom as far north as Georgetown.
Austin Fire Department crews rescued three people from the wreckage of the two-story home at 10407 Double Spur Loop. Two patients from the primary residence were hospitalized — one in critical condition and one in serious but stable condition. A person in a neighboring home is also in critical condition. Three others sustained minor injuries, including two firefighters, one of whom was transported to a hospital.
"A two-story house sustained damage from an unknown event that caused the house to collapse," the Austin Fire Department posted on X. Emergency responders extinguished a vehicle fire and small spot fires in the collapsed debris. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, with the Travis County Fire Marshal taking the lead.
Cedar Park Police confirmed reports of a "loud boom" heard and felt throughout the city, noting the explosion occurred in the Austin area. Neighboring homes felt the impact of the blast. Carol, who lives nearby, was preparing to list her home for sale this month. The explosion blew in her garage doors, windows, and front door, according to CBS Austin reporter Vinny Martorano.
During a press conference, AFD Division Chief Wayne Parrish said the home was "leveled to the ground" and a neighboring house suffered severe collapse damage. He noted there was no Texas Gas service to the residence that exploded, and authorities believe it was an isolated incident.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Austin Fire Department, Austin-Travis County EMS, Travis County Sheriff's Office, Travis County Fire Marshal, Austin Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, and Texas Department of Emergency Management. Shannon Koesterer of Austin-Travis County EMS reported that patients suffered injuries ranging from burns to fractures. Several pets are missing, and officials are working with animal control.
Authorities are bringing in excavators from Austin Water and Lake Travis Fire to clear larger debris. The Red Cross is on scene to help those affected. Officials dispelled rumors of a plane crash or law enforcement activity being involved in the incident.
At least six people were injured after the apparent house explosion in Austin, Texas, according to the Austin Fire Department. Two of the injured were in the house, said Shannon Koesterer, spokesperson for Austin-Travis County EMS. One was in critical condition and the other in serious condition. A person in a neighboring home was injured and is in critical condition, Koesterer said.
Two firefighters were hurt while working at the scene, and another person was injured but not taken to the hospital. Firefighters told CNN affiliate KEYE that at least 15-20 houses were damaged in the area. Several neighboring homes were damaged, with one house that collapsed and another that partially collapsed, fire officials said. Power is out in the surrounding area because of damaged power lines. Fire officials are asking people to avoid the area.
The boom was so loud, it was heard in the Austin suburbs. The police department in Cedar Park, roughly 20 miles north of Austin, said it was heard and felt throughout the city; it was also heard in nearby Georgetown, said Austin Fire Department division chief Wayne Parrish. A person who lives near the house, speaking with CNN affiliate KEYE, said she heard a "loud boom" when the apparent explosion happened.
"I thought maybe a branch had fallen down on my roof," Carol Hassell said. "I went out in the backyard, and the back door had been blown open, and I didn’t see anything on the house. I came out to the front, and then I realized all my windows had been blown out and the front door, and there’s extensive damage to some of the ceilings."
Hassell said her garage doors were blown in, as well as the deadbolts on her locks. "I’m just glad I’m OK," she said. Niki Fletcher, who also lives in the neighborhood, called the explosion scary. "It sounded like a tree fell down on the house," Fletcher told KEYE. "The house kind of shook. The cat got scared."
The Austin Fire Department is investigating what may have caused the explosion. Officials say that just before 11:30 a.m. April 13, multiple initial calls came in about a house that had blown up. When crews arrived in the 10400 block of Double Spur Loop, they found a two-story home that looked like it had exploded and was leveled to the ground. A neighboring house also suffered severe damage.
There was also a vehicle fire at the home that collapsed. Fire crews also extinguished small spot fires in the collapsed debris. EMS says that a total of six people were treated in connection with the explosion. Two people from the collapsed residence are currently listed in critical and serious but stable conditions. A third person from the neighboring house is also in critical condition. Another person with minor complaints refused transport from the scene.
Officials are also working with Animal Control to account for several pets in the neighborhood. Officials say at least 24 homes were damaged, and two have been determined "uninhabitable". The Red Cross is on scene helping those displaced. Some homes on nearby Spicewood Mesa, Pantera Ridge, and Muley Drive have reportedly been damaged. Power was out in the area due to power lines damaged in the explosion, but has since been restored to all homes except the severely damaged ones.
Officials say they expect to be on scene for hours. The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Texas Gas Service has confirmed that the home did not have natural gas service; however, the home did have propane tanks, according to officials. Officials also addressed "rumors circulating around", saying that there was no plane crash or law enforcement activity in the area.
Many people reported on social media seeing a large smoke cloud and hearing a loud "boom". The Cedar Park Police Department posted on X (formerly Twitter) that they were aware of the boom, and CapMetro responded saying they heard it in Pflugerville. Gabriel Lacey shared a photo, showing the smoke cloud from just over a mile away. Officials say the explosion was heard as far as Georgetown.
