DEER PARK, Texas — The massive pipeline fire that continues to burn in Deer Park can be seen from the International Space Station.
Even though it's gradually grown smaller as liquid natural gas continues to burn itself off, the ISS crew can still see it from space.
Astronaut and astrophotographer Don Pettit shared a photo showing the bright orange glow on Tuesday morning, nearly 24 hours after the fire started southeast of Houston. For Pettit, the fire hit close to home.
"Pipeline fire in Deer Park, TX. ~10 miles north of Johnson Space Center, and even closer to my Earth home," Pettit posted on X.
At least four people, including a firefighter, were hurt when the pipeline burst into flames just before 10 a.m. Monday at Spencer Highway near East Boulevard near the Brookglen neighborhood. Hundreds of residents were forced to leave their homes and most haven't been able to return yet.
Deer Park officials said an SUV crashed through the fence of a nearby Walmart and hit an above-ground valve, sparking the fire. We are waiting to learn whether the driver was one of the people injured.
Energy Transfer, the company that owns the pipeline, said they turned off the gas and are allowing the remnants to burn off. They believe it will continue burning throughout the day. Tuesday morning, they said the burn-off would go through later in the day.
A third-party air monitoring company has been contracted by Energy Transfer, according to the La Porte Office of Emergency Management.
Hundreds of residents between Luella Drive and Canada and Spencer Highway and Oakhaven/Eagle Run were advised to evacuate. Heritage Elementary and College Park Elementary were also evacuated, along with a nearby H-E-B and Walmart.
Firefighters were spraying nearby homes to try and protect them but smoke could be seen coming from some rooftops on Monday.
“The fire, it’s very hot, so a lot of the house structures that are adjacent to that are still catching on fire even though we’re putting a lot of water on them,” Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton Jr. said.
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What we know right now
- Energy Transfer says the burnoff timeline is now later Tuesday
- Pipeline fire is along Spencer Highway near East Boulevard
- Liquid natural gas is burning from the pipeline owned by Energy Transfer
- SUV caused the fire by crashing through a fence, hitting a valve
- No signs of terroristic threat
- Driver's identity not revealed
- Brookglen neighborhood evacuated
- San Jacinto College to resume classes Tuesday after being closed Monday
- East Harris County Activity Center to serve as shelter and cooling center
- Faithbridge Church at 4711 Center Street is also a shelter
- The lack of wind is helping keep the fire and smoke from spreading
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said this pipeline runs along the city limits between Deer Park and La Porte, so emergency responders from both cities responded to the fire.
