OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:25 PM – Monday, September 16, 2024
A pipeline carrying natural gas exploded into flames, prompting an evacuation in a suburban Houston, Texas, area.
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On Monday, the 20-inch pipeline carrying natural gas liquid exploded abruptly, towering a pillar of flames over La Porte, Texas.
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States, within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area.
According to the operator of the pipeline, the pipeline must burn itself out.
Firefighters were dispatched at 9:55 a.m. following a reported “explosion that shook nearby homes” as well as businesses in Deer Park and La Porte, about 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston, long known as the United States’ energy capital.
A plume of smoke could be seen from at least 10 miles away, and there was a pungent chemical odor in the air.
There was no immediate word on whether anyone was injured or not.
Giselle Melina Guerra, who lives in the area, said that her and her boyfriend heard the explosion at around 9:30 a.m.
“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,” said Guerra.
She continued, stating that her boyfriend quickly woke up his brother and they all ran to their car.
“I was just freaking out, pacing around the living room, not really knowing what to do or what was happening,” Guerra said. “I thought maybe it was an airplane that had crashed down by our house.”
According to La Porte city spokesperson Lee Woodward, schools nearby were told to shelter in place, as law enforcement blocked off the area.
Officials have now ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate.
“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement directions. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.
Additionally, due to the high voltage power lines being close to the fire, several thousand customers were left without power in Harris County.
CenterPoint Energy said it is still monitoring the fire and that it “is unrelated to the company’s natural gas operations or equipment.”
The company also announced that when a safe perimeter can be guaranteed, crews will assess the damage to their transmission and distribution power lines, poles and equipment, and will start restoring power to its impacted customers.
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