Pipeline explodes, burns in Houston suburb forcing evacuations

LA PORTE, Texas (AP) — Firefighters were battling a massive pipeline fire in suburban Houston that sparked grass fires and burned power poles on Monday, forcing people in the surrounding neighborhood to evacuate as a giant plume of fire was shooting high up into the air.

The fire began at 9:55 a.m. in La Porte, located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Houston.

Video images from KTRK-TV showed a park near the fire had been damaged and firefighters pouring water on adjacent homes. There are also several businesses nearby, including a Walmart.

Officials have ordered residents in the Brookglen neighborhood area near the fire to evacuate, Lee Woodward, a La Porte city spokesperson said in an email.

“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

There are several power lines near the fire. The website PowerOutage.us says that there are nearly 1,600 customers without power in Harris County.

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