Pipeline fire near Houston forces neighborhood evacuation, officials say

• Firefighters were battling a large pipeline fire near Houston on Monday, which forced nearby residents to evacuate as flames shot high into the air.
• The fire started at 9:55 a.m. in La Porte, located about 25 miles southwest of Houston.
• Nearly 1,600 customers were without power in Harris County, as several power lines were near the fire.

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 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.

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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.

The downtown skyline is pictured as the sun rises on Aug. 25, 2018, in Houston, Texas. Firefighters were battling a massive pipeline fire near 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. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

“Please avoid the area and follow law enforcement direction. Further details will be released as available,” Woodward said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

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There are several power lines near the fire. The website PowerOutage.us says that there are nearly 1,600 customers without power in Harris County.