A natural gas pipeline in Fort Bend County, Texas, exploded on Thursday, July 7. No one was injured in the blast, and no structures were endangered by it.
According to the Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, the explosion occurred sometime before 11 a.m. in the 15400 block of Jo Ann Lane, near FM 1952, south of Wallis, Texas, and just west of Orchard, Texas.
The pipeline, which is 24 inches thick, belongs to the Dallas-based natural gas and propane pipeline transport company, Energy Transfer.
Shortly after the explosion, the Fort Bend County’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management released a statement saying that Energy Transfer representatives were already en route and that residents in the surrounding area had already been evacuated.
Pictures were taken at the scene and posted to the official Twitter account of the Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office, showing an enormous column of orange flames and smoke rising from the site of the explosion.
Pipeline explosion: 15400 JoAnn near FM 1952. This is west of Orchard. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/DEdiDRw8gp
— Fort Bend Pct 1 Constable (@FortBendPct1) July 7, 2022
Constable Norvell announced on Twitter that there were ‘[n]o injures or structures damaged in the explosion,” though “[i]t will take some time to close the line and burn off.”
Natural gas line. No injuries or structures damaged. It will take some time to close the line and burn off. https://t.co/2L6BVfeX00 pic.twitter.com/vfuuiKADxa
— Constable Chad Norvell (@chad_norvell) July 7, 2022
A resident of the area told Houston-based local news network KHOU 11 that at the time of the explosion, they heard “a pop — loud, loud, loud pop” and saw the flames that were about 15 stories high at that time.
Though there were numerous grass fires, they all appear to have been minor.
Energy Transfer issued the following statement to KHOU 11:
“Our control center immediately shut in the line, and the area was secured. There were no injuries. By shutting in the line and isolating the impacted section of the pipeline line, the fire was allowed to safely burn itself by 12:30 p.m. All appropriate regulatory agencies have been notified. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.”
Officials do not yet know what caused the explosion, but they assure residents and others that there will be a thorough investigation into the matter.
