Natural gas explosion destroys Gainesville house

Gainesville, TX – A natural gas explosion and fire leveled a home and forced the evacuation of several families living near the intersection of South Weaver and West Tennie Streets in Gainesville early Thursday morning. A city water crew was in the area to repair a water leak when they detected the smell of gas and observed bubbles near the broken line. Gainesville City Manager Barry Sullivan said no injuries were reported. The American Red Cross has opened at shelter at Whaley United Methodist Church. As of 11:40 a.m., Atmos Energy crews were on the scene.