Pipeline explosion in Houston suburb triggers evacuations

A pipeline explosion erupted in La Porte, Texas, the morning of Monday, Sept. 16, around 25 miles southwest of Houston. It triggered immediate evacuations from nearby neighborhoods and a towering plume of fire visible for miles.

The blast sparked secondary grass fires, burned power poles, and escalated the danger to surrounding homes and infrastructure.

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Officials ordered evacuations of surrounding neighborhoods, affecting approximately 350 homes. Several schools close to the explosion also sent students home for the day. Traffic is also closed off in the area to facilitate emergency response efforts.

A conference was held the same day by officials, giving an update on the pipeline explosion. Reunification centers and housing shelters are being set up along with media staging areas.

The pipeline is believed to be owned by Energy Transfer and contains natural gas. Officials say they’ve shut down the pipeline and they’re allowing the material to burn off, which could take a few hours or last into Tuesday, Sept. 17. A statement by Energy Transfer has also since been released, which states its commitment to work with local authorities as the situation unfolds.

Concerns about long-term environmental and safety implications are growing as the situation unfolds.

Officials say one firefighter suffered minor injuries and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.