KHOU
Posted on 09/26/2004 11:13:56 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
NEW CANEY - In what appears to be a case of criminal mischief, a punctured pipeline exploded before dawn Sunday, causing the evacuation of 250 people but no injuries or significant damage to nearby homes.
Residents near the pipeline said they were awakened around 4:45 a.m. by two explosions — a small one, then a large one — that sounded like thunder or a train or tornado. The sky turned bright orange, they said.
"My windows shook and there was a whooshing sound like a train, so I thought a tornado might be coming," Joe Pachuca said of the explosion, roughly 30 miles northeast of Houston, just west of U.S. 59. "I grabbed my kids and said, 'Let's get the hell out of here.' "
Sebastian Perez, a resident who stuck around to videotape the fire before being evacuated, described the scene as "a big glow, with flames shooting way up there, above the trees."
The fire, with dark smoke that could be seen for miles, was out by 11 a.m. Two hours later, people were allowed to return to their homes in the Timberland Estates area and Silver Trails subdivision.
Officials were attempting Sunday to identify suspects in a felony investigation into the explosion. One or more individuals took a subcontractor's heavy equipment early Sunday morning and apparently began digging with it and punctured the pipeline, said Montgomery County Fire Marshal Jimmy Williams. "We are treating this as a criminal act, one where it doesn't matter if the result was intentional," Williams said. "It's unconscionable this was done near homes. This easily could have resulted in a fatality."
Williams said whoever was involved in the incident had to know how to operate the equipment — a trackhoe (a four-wheel excavator) and a boom truck (the type with an arm that extends to reach power lines).
The trackhoe, which previously had been used for utility line construction in the area, was left at the site of the explosion, where the fire raged. The boom truck was driven into the nearby woods, its arm raised as high as possible. Both belonged to a subcontractor of Entergy power company.
The pipeline, one of many in the area, belongs to Mustang Pipeline. The company's spokesperson did not return calls Sunday. Williams said the company began monitoring the air Sunday to determine if vapors from the explosion posed a health threat in the area.
Before that, a small grass fire was contained and a 6-mile stretch of Mustang's propylene pipeline was taken out of service. The fire was allowed to burn itself out. Propylene is a volatile gas used in the production of resins, plastics and gasoline. An initial review of a nearby propane pipeline found it had not been damaged.
Many residents evacuated from the area went to a shelter set up at the New Caney High School ninth-grade campus.
The criminal investigation is being conducted by the Montgomery County fire marshal's and sheriff's offices. The investigation will determine whether this incident can be linked to vandalism that occurred at other area construction sites a month ago.
Williams urged anyone with information about the incident or who saw any suspicious activity in the area Saturday night or Sunday morning to contact Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP.
todd.ackerman@chron.com
KHOU
That's right up the road from where I used to live. I have ex-relatives-in-laws that still live there. Glad no serious damage was done.
Me too!
" Pipeline explosion suspicious
Houston Chronicle ^ | September 27, 2004 | TODD ACKERMAN "
Another master of the obvious. LOL
Refineries rarely explode on their own. Pipelines doln't unless the caribou are toking nearby.
This doesn't sound like terrorism....more like "hold muh beer and watch this"...
NeverGore :^)
Sounds like Mommy and Daddy don't know how to enforce little Jonny's curfew. When they find him/them they should let the towns folk get a look at 'em tied up in stocks at the town square for a day.
The guy who did this knew how to operate heavy construction equipment, that is not a trivial skill. I think someone disgruntled about something specific, maybe some union or termination thing.
union?...this is texas...We dont need no stinking union!!
What is the purpose of raising the boom and driving the tractor into the woods? Perhaps, a signal or something to say "I was here." I wouldn't be suprised if this economic and environmental disaster was the result of an act of the enviroterrorists. E.L.F. or whatever they want to be called (I prefer D.E.A.D.).
Someone more knowledgeable correct me if I'm wrong, but this sounds like someone dug down to and then set an explosive charge on the pipeline. (small bang), which released the propylene, which subsequently (was?) ignited (big explosion, with whooshing).
I may be wrong, but this does not sound like a casual malfunction.
Yes, ELF is perfectly willing to do this but they would more than likely, have caused structural damage.
I don't know enough to give an opinon on that SJ.
Any illegals been heading that way, crossing back and forth on the Mexican border maybe? There are eyewitness Border Patrol Agent accounts of lots of OTM crossing over...coincidence??
bump for folks who know more.
It's nice to have a lot of information at our fingertips bump!
Beats me, not enough info.
The bigger one (as described) was probably the propylene igniting.
There probably won't be much left at the scene to determine if this was a terrorist act or just incredible stupidity.
Thanks for looking.
Seems to me this kind of thing happens much more often in an election year.
I wouldn't call it mischief though. Felony domestic terrorism would be more correct
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