Pipeline fire near Houston forces residents to evacuate

Firefighters in the Houston suburb of La Porte were working to extinguish a pipeline fire that forced residents to evacuate some areas.

The explosion occurred at a valve station on a 20-inch (51-centimeter) pipeline operated by Energy Transfer LP, the company said in a statement. The line, which carries natural gas liquids, “has been isolated so that the waste product in the pipeline can burn itself safely,” with the evacuation area reduced as of Monday evening local time.

Shares in Energy Transfer fell as much as 1.3% on the news.

The city’s fire department was dispatched to the fire at 9:55 a.m. the same day, and while no injuries were reported, residents were evacuated from the area, a city spokesman said in an interview.

La Porte — located in the Bay Area about 26 miles east of Houston — has the largest concentration of chemical plants in the world, with the city home to nearly 50 plants, two ports and thousands of miles of pipelines.

Valves to the affected pipeline segment have been closed, but 20 miles of gas inside the lines must burn before the fire is contained, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, an administrative post in the county that includes Houston.

According to the statement, CenterPoint Energy is working to restore power to nearby homes affected by the incident.

Natural gas liquids are components of natural gas that can include ethane, propane, butane, and natural gasoline, used for home heating and making plastics.

The nearby San Jacinto College Central Campus issued a shelter-in-place order and closed the site for the rest of the day.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates pipelines in the state, said it was investigating the incident.

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