Austin home explosion levels house and damages two dozen more in Northwest Austin

A two-story home explosion in Northwest Austin on April 13, 2025 injured six people, damaged at least 24 nearby homes and left a residential block dealing with fire, debris and a long cleanup.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that emergency officials were called to the 10600 block of Double Spur Loop at 11:23 a.m. They found a house that appeared to have exploded and been leveled, along with a neighboring home that had suffered severe damage and collapsed.

The injury count included two people in critical condition, one in serious but stable condition and three others with minor injuries, including two firefighters. Two victims from the main house were taken to hospital by EMS, while a person from the neighboring collapsed house was also hospitalized in critical condition.

The explosion left more than just structural damage. The report said there were spot fires in yards from the debris and a vehicle fire at one of the homes. Authorities later said the blast was felt miles away, shaking houses and knocking things loose inside nearby homes. The sound reportedly carried as far as Georgetown.

Fire officials said the cause was under investigation and expected to be handled as a fire investigation rather than a criminal one. The article noted that neither of the homes had underground gas service, though both had propane tanks. That detail matters because it narrowed the immediate infrastructure questions without settling the cause.

Thayer Smith, an assistant chief with the Austin Fire Department, said at least 24 homes in the neighborhood suffered damage, mostly broken windows and garage doors. Power had been restored by the time of the report, though the street was expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.

The blast also raised the strain on emergency services. Multiple agencies responded, including the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS. The article’s picture is of a fast-moving multiagency response to a localized but intense disaster inside a residential neighborhood.

Residents described the shock wave in physical terms, saying window screens blew off and kitchen cabinets opened. That local testimony helped convey why the incident was so disruptive: even homes that were not destroyed still felt the force of the blast. The main house was gone, a neighbor’s home had collapsed, and the wider neighborhood was left counting windows, doors and injured people.

By the end of the day, the key facts were already clear. A home explosion had become a six-injury emergency, a 24-home damage event and a fire investigation with broad neighborhood impact in Northwest Austin.