Pipeline explosion in Houston suburb triggers evacuations

Sep 16, 2024

Lauren Keenan Reporter

By Lauren Keenan (Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

This report was created with support from enhanced software.

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.

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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.

Tags: Emergency, evacuations, Explosion, Houston, Texas

Lauren Taylor

A PIPELINE EXPLOSION ERUPTED IN LA PORTE, TEXAS MONDAY MORNING, ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON, TRIGGERING IMMEDIATE EVACUATIONS FROM NEARBY NEIGHBORHOODS AND A TOWERING PLUME OF FIRE VISIBLE FOR MILES.

THE BLAST SPARKED SECONDARY GRASS FIRES AND BURNED POWER POLES, ESCALATING THE DANGER TO SURROUNDING HOMES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

OFFICIALS ORDERED EVACUATIONS OF SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS, AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY 350 HOMES.

SEVERAL SCHOOLS CLOSE TO THE EXPLOSION HAVE ALSO SENT STUDENTS HOME FOR THE DAY.

TRAFFIC IS CLOSED OFF IN THE AREA TO FACILITATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE EFFORTS.

AUTHORITIES HELD A NEWS CONFERENCE MONDAY AFTERNOON – GIVING AN UPDATE ON THE PIPELINE EXPLOSION.

THEY SAY THEY HAVE SET UP REUNIFICATION CENTERS AND HOUSING SHELTERS ALONG WITH MEDIA STAGING AREAS.

THE PIPELINE IS BELIEVED TO BE OWED 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 THEY SAY COULD TAKE A FEW HOURS OR COULD LAST INTO TUESDAY MORNING.

CONCERNS ABOUT LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY IMPLICATIONS ARE GROWING AS THE SITUATION UNFOLDS.

OFFICIALS SAY ONE FIREFIGHTER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.

THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

FOR SAN, I’M LT