David Lemus awoke early Feb. 21, 2018, as his home crumbled on top of him.
His father, also named David Lemus, had gotten out of bed a few minutes earlier, woken by a popping sound. The 49-year-old man traced the noise to the HVAC unit in the attic, where he noticed the pilot light was out and the HVAC cover was on the floor.
When he went to replace it, a fiery blast threw him backwards, leaving him with burns on his face that took six months to heal. His home was destroyed, but he and his family escaped with their lives.
