OAN Staff Avril Elfi
Monday, September 16, 2024 3:25 p.m.
Evacuations have been ordered in suburban Houston, Texas, after a natural gas pipeline exploded and burst into flames.
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A 20-inch pipeline transporting natural gas liquids suddenly exploded on Monday, sending a plume of flames into the sky above LaPorte, Texas.
La Porte is a city in the Bay Area of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area in Harris County, Texas, United States.
According to the pipeline's operators, the pipeline should burn out naturally.
Firefighters were called at 9:55 a.m. to Deer Park and LaPorte, about 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston, long known as the nation's energy capital, after reports of “an explosion that shook nearby homes and businesses.”
Pillars of smoke were visible from at least 10 miles away and the air smelled of acrid chemicals.
There is no immediate word on whether there were any injuries.
Giselle Melina Guerra, who lives in the area, said she and her boyfriend heard the explosion at about 9:30am.
“All of a sudden I heard a loud noise and then I saw something bright, like orange, coming from the back door outside,” Guerra said.
She went on to say that her boyfriend quickly woke up her brother and they all ran to the car.
“I panicked and walked around the living room, not really understanding what to do or what was going on,” Guerra said. “I thought maybe a plane had crashed near the house.”
Evacuation orders were issued for nearby schools as police sealed off the scene, LaPorte spokesman Lee Woodward said.
Authorities are currently telling residents in the Brookglen neighborhood near the fire to evacuate.
“Please avoid the area and follow police instructions. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” Woodward said.
Additionally, thousands of customers in Harris County lost power because high-voltage power lines were close to the fire.
CenterPoint Energy said it was still monitoring the fire and that it was “not related to any of its natural gas operations or facilities.”
The company also said that once a safe perimeter is established, crews will assess damage to transmission and distribution lines, poles and equipment and begin restoring power to affected customers.
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