In a suburban area of Houston, a massive pipeline fire erupted, sending a large plume of fire into the sky for over two hours on Monday. First-responders worked to evacuate the surrounding neighborhood where some homes had caught fire.
The fire started at 9:55 a.m. with an explosion that shook nearby homes in Deer Park and La Porte, located about 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston.
Geselle Melina Guerra, a 25-year-old resident of La Porte, described the moment of the explosion, saying, “All of a sudden we hear this loud bang and then I see something bright, like orange, coming from our back door that’s outside.” She and her boyfriend, Jairo Sanchez, live in a mobile home within the evacuation area and were having breakfast when the explosion occurred.
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Officials are still working to determine what substance flows through the pipeline and how it can be shut down. Nearby schools were instructed to shelter in place, and a wide area was cordoned off by law enforcement.
Multiple gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines run through the area affected by the fire. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.
Video footage showed a park near the fire that had sustained damage, with firefighters working to protect adjacent homes. Residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire were ordered to evacuate.
CenterPoint Energy confirmed that the fire near Spencer Highway in LaPorte is unrelated to the company’s natural gas operations. They are cooperating with first responders to assess the situation.
AP reporter Christopher L. Keller contributed to this report from Albuquerque, New Mexico
