A
massive fire has erupted near the town of Cuero, Texas following a
reported rupture and blast at a gas pipeline. A huge column of fire
could be seen from as far as 20 miles away, according to witnesses.No injuries were reported as of Sunday night, Raul Diaz, a deputy with the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office said according to My San Antonio online news.
The explosion took place at around 8:30 pm Sunday, ABC KSAT 12 has reported, citing DeWitt County officials. Authorities are investigating the incident, but have had no details to share so far.
Diaz said six homes in the area had been evacuated as a precautionary measure after law enforcement and the DeWitt County Fire Department responded to reports of a pipe burst near the intersection of F.M. 953 and Lindeneau Road.
“It was a big boom, and it shook the house,” local resident Roger Zimmerman was quoted as saying by the Victoria Advocate online publication. “You can feel the heat. ... It was pretty intense. It still is intense.”
“I don’t think we will be getting any sleep tonight,” Zimmerman, who lives about a mile from the fire, added.
Authorities are planning to let the fire burn down on its own, Cuero Volunteer Fire Department public information officer told local media.
Officers from the Texas Department of Transportation are at the scene putting up barricades to establish a safety perimeter.
Mixed reports on social media suggested that there was a pipeline explosion at the Devon Energy plant north of Cuero. However, the company told Victoria Advocate that it was not their pipeline on fire. Meanwhile local officials are trying to figure out who owns the pipeline, Crossroads Today reports.
Source: rt.com