While nobody was injured, a natural gas pipeline ruptured in rural South Texas, creating a massive fire that forced the evacuation of nearby homes. The huge blaze could be seen from 20 miles away.
The Energy Transfer Partners pipeline ruptured near Lindenau around 8 pm Sunday, according to DeWitt County Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Peggy Fonseca. Lindenau is about 85 miles southeast of San Antonio.
As of early Monday the gas had been rerouted and the fire was extinguished though seven homes were evacuated and residents won’t be allowed to return home until safety inspections are completed.
Energy Transfer Partners spokeswoman Vicki Anderson Granado says the company will investigate the cause of the rupture.
The explosion continues to call into question the safety of pipelines, such as the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, given the spotty safety record. As we covered earlier, California just saw its pristine beaches near Santa Barbara ruined by a slow oil leak from a nearby pipeline.
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