La Porte, Texas Pipeline Fire Causes Evacuations, Closures

(9/16/2024) A pipeline fire currently burning in La Porte, Texas is causing business closures, evacuations, and shelter-on-place orders.

According to ABC 13, which captured footage of the towering flames near Spencer Highway and Summerton in La Porte, the inferno has also sparked smaller grass fires.

Emergency personnel are working to contain these fires.

Businesses affected include the nearby HEB, Walmart, NTB-National Tire & Battery, MOD Pizza, Taco Bell, Taco Bell, Dutch Bros Coffee, and AFC Urgent Care. San Jacinto College is under a shelter-in-place order.

Evacuations are ordered for anyone, "between Spencer Highway and Fairmont Parkway, between Luella and Canada Road and the Brookglen neighborhood area."

The pipeline fire is occurring on or near property owned by Centerpoint Energy, which is currently being investigated by the Texas Attorney General for potentially mishandling the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

However, Centerpoint denies the pipeline is part of their equipment: "CenterPoint Energy is monitoring the incident on Spencer Highway in LaPorte, which is unrelated to the company's natural gas operations or equipment."

It appears that about 4000 people are currently without power due to the incident.

Multiple agencies are responding to the fire. The City of La Porte fire department arrived at the scene at 9:55 a.m.

Currently it is unknown how the fire began or if there are an injuries.

Recent studies have revealed that pipeline fires are not as uncommon as one might think.

[An] analysis found that, on average, a pipeline catches fire every 4 days and results in an explosion every 11 days, an injury every 5 days, and a fatality every 26 days.