Community members raise their fist remembering Sylvia Collins who lost life in a north Oak Cliff apartment complex fire, Friday, May 29, 2026 in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Community members remembers Sylvia Collins who lost life in a north Oak Cliff apartment complex fire during a vigil, Friday, May 29, 2026 in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News
Burned debris from an apartment explosion and fire is pilled up across the street from The East 9th Apartments. Investigators from Dallas Fire-Rescue, NTSB and Atmos Energy inspected The Clyde apartments next door on East 9th St near Patton Avenue in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, May 30, 2026. The apartment building exploded and burst into flames, Thursday.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
A hearing scheduled Monday in litigation over the deadly Oak Cliff apartment explosion was canceled after Atmos Energy agreed to the plaintiffs’ requested terms, according to an attorney representing people suing the utility.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Chris Hamilton said proposed orders reflecting the agreement were submitted to Dallas County Court at Law Judge Melissa Bellan. One would consolidate four lawsuits for pretrial proceedings. The other would extend requirements that Atmos notify the plaintiffs’ attorneys before performing certain work at the property.
Related: Judge orders Atmos to preserve evidence from Oak Cliff explosion as survivor sues utility
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The proposed orders had not been confirmed as signed by Bellan on Friday.
“Shortly before the hearing, Atmos agreed to all the relief that was requested,” Hamilton said.
Atmos did not immediately respond Friday to a request to confirm Hamilton’s account or comment on the development.
The lawsuits stem from the May 28 natural gas-fueled explosion at The Clyde apartments, 409 E. Ninth St. The blast destroyed the building, killed Sylvia Collins, Marisol Perez and Perez’s 18-month-old son, Erik, and forced evacuations in the surrounding neighborhood. At least six people were injured and treated at a hospital, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
A contractor was drilling for soil samples near the building earlier that day, according to NTSB findings. Although the contractor had submitted an 811 request, the gas service line that was later cut had not been identified and marked, NTSB said.
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Dallas Fire-Rescue notified Atmos of the cut line at 12:51 p.m. Atmos arrived about 1:20 p.m., shortly after the explosion, according to NTSB.
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The investigation remains underway, and the agency has not determined a probable cause or assigned fault.
The plaintiffs seek to hold Atmos and other defendants responsible for the explosion. No defendant has been found liable.
All four lawsuits are pending before Bellan in Dallas County Court at Law No. 2, Hamilton said. Consolidation would allow the court to address shared legal and factual issues once during pretrial proceedings instead of considering similar filings in each case.
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The plaintiffs’ claims would remain separate and could proceed to individual trials.
Hamilton said Atmos considered seeking to move the cases into Texas’ multidistrict litigation system, which assigns related lawsuits to one judge to coordinate pretrial matters. Hamilton opposed a transfer and instead sought to consolidate the cases before Bellan.
Atmos agreed to the proposed consolidation order before Monday’s hearing, Hamilton said.
Related: Oak Cliff apartment complex owners sue Atmos over deadly gas explosion
The second proposed order would extend an existing requirement that Atmos notify the plaintiffs’ attorneys about certain work at The Clyde. It also would add provisions involving tracer wires, which help crews locate underground utility lines, Hamilton said.
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The cases are entering discovery, when opposing parties seek documents, testimony and other evidence. Hamilton said Atmos’ initial responses are due Aug. 26.
The plaintiffs are seeking records concerning Atmos’ pipeline-location and marking practices, including incidents in which contractors struck company lines after requesting that underground utilities be marked, Hamilton said.
If the two sides disagree over whether Atmos must produce some of the requested records, the plaintiffs could ask Bellan to compel their release. No such motion has been filed, and the judge has not ruled on a discovery dispute.
Related: Oak Cliff mourns neighbors lost in The Clyde apartment explosion