Onesio Mendoza, who lived in apartment 210, is escorted by Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball to retrieve items from his car parked across the street from the collapsed apartment complex in the 400 block of east 9th Street in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2026. Officials said at least three people died and several were injured after an explosion at an apartment building in north Oak Cliff on Thursday.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Onesimo Mendoza, 52, had fallen asleep just minutes before his construction shift when a blast jolted him awake inside his second-floor Oak Cliff apartment.
The impact was so strong that Mendoza thought an airplane had crashed into the building.
Onesio Mendoza, who lived in apartment 210, shows scrapes on his leg that he received while escaping his apartment Thursday in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2026. Officials said at least three people died and several were injured after an explosion at an apartment building in north Oak Cliff on Thursday.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
“The impact threw me off,” he said in Spanish. “I didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening.”
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Within seconds, he smelled gas and saw flames spreading through the complex.
He stuffed what he could into a small bag, rushed outside his apartment and tried to help neighbors escape as fire moved through the building Thursday afternoon.
“When it happens, you don’t know what is going on,” Mendoza said. “It’s a survival instinct that comes out of you.”
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Authorities continued Friday to block access to the damaged Oak Cliff apartment complex where a fire and explosion killed at least three people, including a child, injured five and displaced dozens of residents. Police tape surrounded the block as investigators and utility crews worked at the site.
Residents who needed to enter the restricted area were escorted by authorities.
Officials have not confirmed the cause of the explosion. Mendoza, who suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation, filed a lawsuit in Dallas County against Atmos Energy, which owns the gas lines to the building. Atmos did not respond to a request for comment about the suit, but said in a statement earlier Friday that it is working with investigators. “Our hearts go out to the people who were tragically lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted,” the statement said.
Mendoza said he lived in apartment 210 and escaped through the back staircase after realizing the front stairway was already on fire.
“When I opened the door, everything was already collapsed,” he said.
As he ran through smoke and debris, Mendoza said he saw a girl trapped on the other side of the apartments near the roofline.
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“I wanted to help her, but I couldn’t,” he said. “The hallway was blocked with debris and the stairs were already burning.”
Moments later, he warned a neighboring resident to escape through the back stairs before flames consumed more of the building.
After reaching safety, Mendoza stood outside and watched the fire destroy the apartment complex where he had lived for the last two years.
“I lost everything,” he said.
Onesio Mendoza, who lived in apartment 210, gathers his belongings after he was escorted to retrieve items from his car parked across the street from the collapsed apartment complex in the 400 block of east 9th Street in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2026. Officials said at least three people died and several were injured after an explosion at an apartment building in north Oak Cliff on Thursday.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Questions remain as residents search for stability
Mendoza, originally from Mexico City, said he works two jobs — making tortillas in the mornings and working construction afternoons and evenings.
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He had been asleep before leaving for his 3 p.m. shift when the explosion happened around 1 p.m. Earlier that morning, Mendoza said he noticed crews working with machinery behind the apartments.
Related: Here’s how to donate, help Oak Cliff fire victims
“I saw a machine drilling in the back apartments,” he said. “Then I went back inside, ate breakfast and fell asleep waiting to go to work.”
Mendoza said he left behind his wallet, bank cards and many belongings while trying to escape. He later recovered his laptop, passport and other documents from his car, but authorities have not allowed residents full access to the area.
He and about 15 survivors of the explosion were placed in a hotel by the city for three days while they await what comes next.
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Onesio Mendoza, who lived in apartment 210, gathers his belongings after he was escorted to retrieve items from his car parked across the street from the collapsed apartment complex in the 400 block of east 9th Street in Oak Cliff in Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2026. Officials said at least three people died and several were injured after an explosion at an apartment building in north Oak Cliff on Thursday.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
Fear spreads beyond burned complex
Just behind the burned apartment complex on Friday, Estefania Herrera said she has struggled to feel safe returning home.
Herrera lives in neighboring apartments. In an email obtained by The Dallas Morning News, the property owner warned them not to use appliances while authorities worked to restore gas service in the area.
She said ongoing excavation and utility work near the damaged buildings has left her fearful for her husband and children.
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Related: Lawsuit filed against Atmos Energy in connection with Oak Cliff fire
“You hear the machines, you see everything destroyed, and it scares you,” Herrera said. “I worry about my children and my husband.”
For Mendoza, the smell of smoke and gas still lingers in his mind. He said he remembers standing outside after escaping, watching flames consume the building as sirens echoed through Oak Cliff.
“I just stood there watching everything burn.”
Staff writer Sarah Bahari contributed to this report.