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A woman places a flower in a fence at the site of a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
People places flowers on a fence at the site of a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building following a vigil in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
A woman prays with a rosary at the site of a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Dozens of people gather for a vigil for victims of The Clyde apartment explosion and fire in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Gannon Sims, Cliff Temple Baptist Church senior pastor, speaks during a vigil for victims of The Clyde apartment explosion and fire in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
People observe a moment of silence during a vigil for victims of The Clyde apartment explosion and fire in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Residents gathered a few feet from the charred remains of The Clyde apartment complex Wednesday evening, standing in silence near the rubble where three people were killed<\/a> and families lost their homes last week during a natural gas explosion and fire.<\/p>\n Around 100 people attended the vigil, which honored Marisol P\u00e9rez, her 18-month-old son, Erik P\u00e9rez Jr., and longtime Dallas County Democratic Party precinct chair Sylvia<\/a> Collins, all of whom died<\/a> after the May 28 blast<\/a> tore through the Oak Cliff complex.<\/p>\n At the center of the Wednesday evening gathering, remembrances of the victims sat on a podium, surrounded by roses and floral tributes. Behind them, first responders, neighbors, friends and local leaders stood quietly near the perimeter of the damaged complex, close enough for the wreckage to remain in view.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The location provided the vigil with a stark intimacy: The community was not remembering the tragedy from afar. It was standing beside it.<\/p>\n A flower rests on a fence as a Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighter looks over debris at the site of a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n The ceremony was led by Gannon Sims, senior pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church and leader of the church\u2019s community ministry, Mission Oak Cliff. Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball and state Rep. Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez were among those in attendance.<\/p>\n Related: What caused the deadly Oak Cliff explosion? Here\u2019s what we know<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Sims said the silent vigil was intended to give the community room to grieve without trying to explain the loss too quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cOur culture is so prone to using words, and moments like this leave us at the end of words,\u201d Sims said. \u201cWhen we have situations like this, I feel like it\u2019s important to just hold one another close and to let God speak in the silence.\u201d<\/p>\n During the service, Sims quoted Psalm 23 and led moments of silence for first responders, the victims, displaced residents and the broader Oak Cliff neighborhood. The ceremony was somber and restrained, with no music or long speeches, focusing instead on remembrance, grief and families facing an uncertain recovery.<\/p>\n Sims said the scale of the destruction carries a weight that can be difficult to fully grasp.<\/p>\n Related: Charities cover six months of rent for families displaced after fatal Oak Cliff explosion<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIf we had 19 homes in a neighborhood just mowed down, it would shock us,\u201d Sims said. \u201cI think with an apartment building, we don\u2019t think of the gravity of 19 homes. There\u2019s a lot of gravity here.\u201d<\/p>\n Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighters look over debris at the site of a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n Mission Oak Cliff and Cliff Temple Baptist Church have helped coordinate donations<\/a> and support for displaced families since the explosion. Sims said the church began by opening its doors to provide food, water and snacks before helping gather items for residents who lost belongings or were forced from their homes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a coordinated effort between the city and local nonprofits,\u201d Sims said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing our best to account for the needs of all those who\u2019ve been displaced.\u201d<\/p>\n For Omar Jimenez, chair of the 23rd Senatorial District Tejano Democrats, the vigil was both personal and communal. Collins served as the organization\u2019s sergeant-at-arms and had been involved since its beginning.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Related: ‘It could have been us’: Oak Cliff residents fear returning after fatal explosion<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI had to be here tonight,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cI wanted not only to show my support and my grief for her, but also for Marisol, Erik and all the families affected by it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jimenez said the gathering reflected the kind of support Collins had spent years offering others.<\/p>\n \u201cKnowing Sylvia, she would do the same thing if something like this were to happen,\u201d Jimenez said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like we\u2019re returning a favor for her, because that would be something that she would do.\u201d<\/p>\n Soraya Santos, a friend of Collins, said Collins had been a constant presence in local advocacy circles for years, showing up at meetings, events and campaigns long before many others became involved.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cSylvia was someone who was there from the first year I got into advocacy 10 years ago,\u201d Santos said. \u201cBy the time I came into it, she\u2019d already been doing it for decades. She was just a constant, positive presence.\u201d<\/p>\n Santos said the turnout reflected both Collins\u2019 reach and Oak Cliff\u2019s response to families facing sudden loss.<\/p>\n \u201cOak Cliff is a hell of a community,\u201d Santos said. \u201cThey\u2019ve come out for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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