On Monday, a natural gas pipeline ruptured near Houston. Authorities ordered the evacuation of homes and businesses. Shelter-in-place orders were issued for multiple schools.
About 50 homes were evacuated in Deer Park where the fire started, approximately 20 miles south of Houston. City officials announced at a press conference that at least five of the residences closest to the fire have been damaged.
Officials from La Porte, the city next door, said that a firefighter who responded from nearby Pasadena had been injured near the fire. Pasadena officials didn’t immediately respond to Monday’s request for information about the severity of the injury and the condition of the firefighter.
According to a statement from the city, La Porte’s orders of evacuation covered more than 1,000 homes and businesses. The La Porte Independent District also said that shelter-in-place orders were in force at several campuses within the district.
Energy Transfer, the company that operates the pipeline in question, issued a statement saying, “All homes and businesses within a quarter mile of the incident” will be covered by these orders.
The company stated that a vehicle could have hit the pipeline infrastructure before the onset of flames. The cause of the fire and possible leakage are still being investigated.
San Jacinto College Central Campus, Pasadena, canceled classes and told students to remain in the area until authorities declared an “all-clear,” according to a Facebook post.
Deer Park stated in its statement that orders to shelter-in-place also applied to a Walmart and an H.E.B. grocery store.
Deer Park officials stated at a news conference that residents and businesses may also be affected because of electricity outages due to damaged power lines. The utility serving the region reported a single-digit number of locations without power.
According to Deer Park and La Porte, the pipeline fire broke out at Energy Transfer’s facility, which the company calls its La Porte location. However, both cities claim it is in Deer Park, adjacent.
Deer Park Office of Emergency Management said that Deer Park and La Porte firefighters established a united command to attack the fire from the west and east respectively. Energy Transfer shut down the pipeline as firefighters waited for the last fuel to be burned, Deer Park officials reported.
Deer Park mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. stated that the product would burn off in a few hours.
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He said that multiple homes were damaged and that the grass fire that erupted in the area had been put out.
Mouton stated that the fire was very hot. “A lot of house structures adjacent to it are still catching fire, even though we are putting water on them to control that.”
Energy Transfer stated that the fire started at a valve for a 20-inch Y-grade liquid gas line.
It said, “The line was isolated to allow the residual product on the line to safely burn out.” We have no idea how long the process will take at this stage.
In a press release, Harris County Pollution Control said that air monitoring had found “moderate” amounts of particulate and no measurable volatile compounds. It said that people with respiratory or other health problems “may want to take precautions”.
Deer Park has announced that Energy Transfer set up an emergency hotline to assist residents, businesses, and anyone else affected by the fire: 855-430-4491. The city has said that resources may be available.
Evacuees have access to multiple reunification locations in Deer Park, La Porte, and the surrounding area, including an activity center and a local church.
