LA PORTE, Texas — As crews continue to battle a large pipeline fire that's burning out of control in Deer Park, they're getting a little help from the weather.
The fire at a company called Energy Transfer is burning near the Brookglen neighborhood at Spencer Highway near East Boulevard. So far, it's the only neighborhood advised to evacuate because the winds are calm and that's keeping the smoke from spreading.
"The smoke is just going straight up into the air, so from a weather perspective, there's no wind and there's also no inversion," KHOU 11 meteorologist Pat Cavlin explained. "Because the smoke is allowed to go straight up into the atmosphere and not hug the ground, this is not an immediate concern for surrounding neighborhoods, just the immediate area."
The lack of wind helped firefighters quickly bring a nearby grass fire ignited by heat from the pipeline fire under control. They are spraying nearby homes to try and protect them but smoke could be seen on some rooftops.
Brookglen resident Chandra Thom was getting ready for work when she heard a loud noise.
“I went out there and I looked and when I saw the fire, I got so scared. I have never been panicked like that before,” Thom said. “And then I start screaming and I run. I run through the front door and run down the street.”
"There are about 350 homes that are very near the fire point and so there's an evacuation order in place," Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said.
Heritage Elementary and College Park Elementary were also evacuated, along with a nearly H-E-B and Walmart.
San Jacinto College and nearby schools in La Porte ISD were sheltering in place.
Garcia said no injuries have been reported.
Some power poles have also caught fire and thousands of customers are without power, including a nearby assisted living community. Emergency responders evacuated about 15 residents there.
Spencer Highway is closed in both directions and so are nearby roads. Everyone should avoid the area.
Harris County pollution control is monitoring the air quality and HazMat is also on the scene.
The City of Deer Park said it's liquid natural gas that is burning.
It could take several more hours to get the fire out.