A Texas family’s home was devastated by a pipeline fire that swept through homes on Monday and continued to burn throughout the week.
Deer Park residents Steve and Diane Hutto walked through their front door to see their home in ruins after an evacuation order was lifted more than 48 hours after an SUV crashed directly into a gas pipeline outside Houston.
The result was a blazing inferno that roared across the Texas sky, its heat shaking homes and melting property as residents ran for shelter.
The Hutto home was one of the closest to the pipeline.
According Fox 13Water from hoses directed at the fire was the biggest cause of damage.
Deer Park residents Steve and Diane Hutto walked through their front door to find their home in ruins.
The Hutto home was one of the closest to the pipelines.
Water from hoses directed at the fire was the biggest cause of damage.
A storage shed also melted in the Huttos’ backyard.
Combined with the high temperatures, the smell of mold permeated the house, which was still warm inside, the family said.
A storage shed also melted in his backyard.
“I thought it was a nuclear bomb,” Diane said. Khou 11‘I fell out of my chair and the dogs were already outside the door trying to get out.
“And then when I walked out the door downstairs, I knew what it was: the pipe.”
What did survive were photos of Steve’s deceased 2-year-old son, who he said was the only thing that mattered to him.
The car that crashed into the above-ground pipeline first crashed through the fence surrounding it and immediately burst into flames after hitting it at around 10 a.m.
Witness Hank Williams said ABC 13 He saw the car fly “about 8 or 10 feet in the air” after impact.
The heat surrounding the scene was so intense that officers were unable to access the car until 7 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the Deer Park Police Department.
The car that crashed into the above-ground pipeline first crashed through the fence surrounding it. After crashing at around 10 a.m. on Monday, a burst of flames immediately broke out.
Officers recovered human remains from the vehicle that crashed into the pipeline. The heat surrounding the scene was so intense that officers were unable to access the vehicle until 7 a.m. Thursday.
Four people were injured in the incident, including a firefighter with minor injuries. Of the injured, two were hospitalized and two suffered heat-related injuries.
“Once the vehicle was removed, Harris County Medical Examiners were able to process it,” the statement said. “During the process, they were able to recover and remove human remains.”
The statement also said the case has been turned into a criminal investigation. The driver has not been identified.
Four people were injured, including a firefighter who suffered minor injuries. Of the injured, two were hospitalized and two suffered heat-related injuries, ABC 13 reported.
