Houston, United States— A high-pressure gas pipeline exploded inside a sprawling industrial park northeast of Houston around 9:10 a.m., sending a fireball 100 feet into the air and shattering windows half a mile away.
The blast hit the 24-inch line feeding several chemical storage and logistics facilities in the Cedar Port Industrial Park. Workers described a loud hiss, then a roar. The ground shook. The explosion tore open a 30-foot section of pipe and ignited. Flames engulfed two adjacent warehouses.
Three workers were injured, one critically, with burns. More than 200 others were evacuated from the park. One forklift operator said, "We smelled gas, maybe five minutes, we called it in, then boom, everything went orange, I ran and didn't look back."
Harris County Fire Marshal's office and Houston Hazmat teams responded. They isolated the pipeline segment and let residual gas burn off to avoid a larger vapor cloud. Drones were used to map heat zones. The fire burned for over two hours before crews could approach.
The pipeline, operated by a midstream energy company, carries natural gas to industrial users. The company said pressure readings showed a spike just before failure. It said it had shut upstream valves and was cooperating. The line had been inspected by aerial patrol last month, records show.
The industrial park houses dozens of companies handling chemicals, plastics, and machinery. Several reported structural damage from the blast wave. One logistics firm's metal roof collapsed. Cars parked nearby had windows blown out.
The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates pipelines in the state, sent investigators. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration was notified. Both agencies will examine weld integrity, corrosion logs, and whether third-party construction nearby may have damaged the line.
Residents in Baytown reported hearing the explosion 10 miles away. Air quality monitors showed a brief spike in methane but no sustained hazardous levels. Still, officials told nearby neighborhoods to stay indoors.
Traffic on State Highway 146 was diverted. The park remained closed into the afternoon while engineers assessed whether other pipeline sections were at risk.
The fire was out by noon, but the site remains hot. No cause has been confirmed. The company said service will not resume until inspections are complete.
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