Volunteers Help Remove Debris Weeks After Westworth Village Home Explosion

About two dozen volunteers spent part of their weekend helping a neighbor with a major cleanup after a devastating house explosion.

Kevin Pluskey from North Richland Hills responded after seeing a church bulletin asking for volunteers earlier this week, so he found himself in Westworth Village in front of debris that used to be a home.

“Yeah it was quite a mess, it was quite a mess, it still is,” Pluskey said.

Danita Shelton owns the property and was renting the home to tenants when the explosion happened in the early morning hours of Dec. 1.

“Disbelief, it’s still, it’s like a nightmare,” Shelton said.

One of her tenants suffered critical burns and two and half weeks later continues to recover at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, according to Shelton.

The investigation into the cause remains ongoing.

Shelton says she has owned the home for 45 years but had recently dropped homeowners insurance so the work to clean up and clear the lot on Watters Place is up to her and anyone willing to help.

“Put yourself in the owner’s shoes, right?” Pluskey said. “If this was you, would you want people to come out and help?  And I think we all know the answer to that.”

The explosion caused minor damage to nearby homes that required a temporary evacuation until the structures were deemed habitable.

Atmos Energy, which supplies natural gas to the home, said earlier this month there is "no evidence" to suggest its system was involved.