ATASCOSA COUNTY, Texas — When a 4,000 square foot underground home blew up in southeast San Antonio Friday night, an Atascosa County couple who've been living in an underground house for 37 years watched and listened to all the details of the explosion with rapt attention.
Danny Brown, who did most of the construction work on the 2,000 square foot home himself, said "We asked how could that possibly be? How could that have happened? We don't want that to happen to us."
Because they built in many important safeguards, Danny said "We have a very safe home. 37 years ago people said to us "you don't know anything about building a house. Well. It's still here and we're still here and we're not going anywhere."
Standing on the grass-covered roof of the home with his wife Linda, Danny said "There's five feet of dirt below us before you get to the top of the house, and then it's ten inches thick."
Danny said the house is strong enough that he has driven earth moving equipment over it and they let their cows graze on the grass-covered roof.
"We let our cows up here and eat this. I don't have to mow my grass and we have no problems with water leaking. We have no problems at all with it. It's just totally self-sufficient," Danny said.
Knowing what kind of stability is needed for an underground structure, Danny said he has been amazed while watching video of the devastation left behind on South Presa Street Friday night when four people died during a blast that shook virtually the entire south quadrant of the city.
"Our ceilings are ten feet high and the roof is ten-inches thick, with 3/4 inch rebar, on six inch centers, and it is double-layered. I can't even imagine something blowing up like that," Danny said.
Danny said while the structure is covered with dirt, it is technically a hybrid home.
"We actually built this house on flat ground on a concrete slab. We did this all ourselves, by hand and then we hired a company to do the roof and then we covered it with dirt," Danny said.
Three sides of the home are buried with 30 feet of dirt, while the fourth is exposed for a free exchange of light and air "We have some very large windows. When you're in our living room you're looking out over the pond and it's beautiful," Danny said.
As an added bonus, they now have a beautiful pond near the home as they harvested all the dirt they needed from a spot just a few feet away.
Linda Brown said their home has been a haven during all kinds of weather events, not just for their family but for neighbors as well, especially during the bitter cold of early 2021.
Linda said "When the storm came and it was Snowvid and it was so cold, we had heat and we had water because we have a fireplace, and so some of our neighbors needed water and they just showed up at the door."
Linda said they shared freely with their friends and everyone was comfortable, adding "It was 67, 68 degrees without any heat but we have a wood burning stove and we had water and everything was great."
Linda said another time they were roused by neighbors calling to report tornado damage all around them.
"Once we had neighbors call us and told us their roof had blown off, caused by a tornado, and we slept through it. We didn't know it had happened. They called us for help and we went outside and sure enough there had been a tornado," Linda said.
They both agree that they have been very careful to keep their home safe. One of their first considerations was all electric appliances.
San Antonio fire officials believe Friday's explosion was related to a leak from an on site propane tank that may have sent heavier than air explosive gas into the lower reaches of the home to cause the big blast.
"We always make sure that our gas and diesel cans are stored in our barn. Anybody can have a leak and anything can happen, but our garage is not buried underground," Danny said, adding "Even our wood burning fireplace, our stove, we have an air vent behind it that let's fresh air in from outside. We make sure that we don't suffocate inside by being too air tight."
In a remote, rural area that saw an influx of newcomers during the pandemic and the oil boom, the couple agree that they have worked hard, and with joy, to create a safe, nurturing space for their children and grandkids.
"It's been our dream. So many people have told us they just love our place and it will last forever," Danny said, proudly pointing out a plaque over the dining room table that reads "And so they built a life they loved." And so they have.