A pipeline explosion in Deer Park, Texas, near Houston prompted evacuations and a large response from firefighters on Monday afternoon. The fire spread into the adjacent city of La Porte, leading to evacuation and shelter in place orders in nearby communities. CenterPoint, a utility company in the area, stated that the incident was unrelated to their operations and they are cooperating with first responders. The San Jacinto College Central Campus was also placed under shelter orders. Authorities are advising the public to avoid the area until further notice from emergency officials. CenterPoint Energy will assess the damage to their power lines and equipment once it is safe to do so and work to restore service to impacted customers. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY covering the incident. He can be contacted at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and followed on Twitter @fern_cerv_.
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Video of Massive Flame from Pipeline Explosion in La Porte, Texas
