DEER PARK, Texas — A pipeline fire that forced hundreds of people to flee their homes in the Houston suburbs, burned for the third day in a row on Wednesday. There is no official timeline for when the fire will finally be extinguished.
Authorities have released few details about what caused the driver of an SUV to hit an above-ground valve on the pipeline on Monday, sparking the fire.
Here are some things you should know about the pipeline fire situation:
Officials said the underground pipeline, which runs beneath power lines through a grassy corridor between a Walmart and a residential area in Deer Park, was damaged when the driver of the SUV left the store’s parking lot, drove into the wide grassy area and through a fence surrounding the valve equipment.
Authorities have provided few details about what caused the vehicle to hit the pipeline valve, the identity of the driver or what happened to them. The pipeline company on Wednesday called it an accident. Deer Park officials said preliminary investigations by police and FBI agents have found no evidence of a terrorist attack.
Deer Park police will not be able to reach the burned vehicle until the flames are extinguished. Once the area is clear, the department can continue its investigation and confirm details, city spokeswoman Kaitlyn Bluejacket said in an email Wednesday.
The valve equipment appears to be protected by a mesh fence topped with razor wire. The pipeline operator did not respond to questions about other safety measures that were in place.
Energy Transfer owns the pipeline, based in Dallas. The pipeline is 20 inches wide and runs for miles through the Houston area.
It transports liquid natural gas through the suburbs of Deer Park and La Porte, both southeast of Houston. Energy Transfer said the fire had diminished overnight and “continued to burn out safely” Wednesday.
Energy Transfer also has the Dakota Access Pipelinewhich has been at the center of protests and legal battles. The company’s executive chairman, Kelcy Warren, has given millions of dollars in campaign contributions to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
Energy Transfer said its crews were working Wednesday to install special isolation equipment on both sides of the damaged area to help extinguish the fire.
Once the equipment is installed, which can take several hours of welding, the isolated section of pipeline will be flushed with nitrogen, which will extinguish the fire, the company and local officials said. Damaged components can then be repaired.
“The safest way to manage this process is to incinerate the products,” Energy Transfer said.
Authorities evacuated nearly 1,000 homes at one point and ordered people in nearby schools to stay inside. Hundreds of customers were left without power. Officials said Wednesday that only 30 customers remained without power in the Deer Park and La Porte area.
A statement from Deer Park said Energy Transfer “prioritizes community and environmental safety as we implement our emergency response plan.”
By Tuesday evening, about 400 evacuees remained, with some expressing frustration at being forced to flee so quickly and not being given a timetable for when they could return.
“We literally walked away with the clothes on our backs, the pets, and left the neighborhood with no idea where we were going,” said Kristina Reff, who lives near the fire. “It was frustrating.”
Energy Transfer and Harris County officials say air quality monitoring indicates there is no immediate danger to people despite the massive blaze that shot hundreds of feet into the air and sent thick, black smoke hanging over the area.
Houston is the nation’s petrochemical heartland, home to a cluster of refineries and plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are common, and some have been deadly, raising questions about the industry’s efforts to protect the public and the environment.
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