LA PORTE, Texas — 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.
