Families displaced by Tarrant County home explosion prepare for emotional holiday season

WESTWORTH VILLAGE, Texas — More than two weeks ago, a home explosion in Westworth Village leveled one house and left five others uninhabitable.

“Right now, we just… we’re trying to piece everything back together,” Marilyn Hilo told WFAA Sunday in tears.

She and her brother, Cornelius Aevila, both lived in homes damaged by the explosion.

Aevila is now in a Motel 6 with his fiancé and her 11-year-old daughter, who Aevila said just wants a Christmas tree. 

“We decorated the house with Halloween decorations, and our plan was to decorate it Christmas,” Aevila said.

“But Christmas trees right now? I don’t even know where we’re gonna be at. I want to know where we’re gonna be at next week.”

Hilo said she and her brother are grateful to have each other for the holidays, even though they don’t have a place to celebrate.

“I was telling him my birthday is on Tuesday, and it’s like, I’m just grateful that we’re all okay,” she said. 

“It moves you because you appreciate everything a lot more. And it’s like with Christmas coming, I was telling [my brother] my birthday is on Tuesday. And I’m just grateful we’re all okay. I’m just hoping we can get a new start this year and put out lives back together again,” she added.

The family has set up an online fundraising campaign.