Officials Open Criminal Inquiry Into Crash That Caused Pipeline Fire Near Houston

A vehicle crashed into a gas pipeline valve, exploding into a tower of flame that has burned for days. Investigators are now looking into whether it was more than an accident.

The city of Deer Park, Texas, said on Thursday that it had opened a criminal investigation into a fatal car crash that caused a gas pipeline explosion this week, resulting in a tower of flame that has been burning for days.

The explosion on Monday killed the driver of the vehicle, who officials said had not yet been identified, and damaged nearby homes.

On Thursday, officials were able to remove the white sport utility vehicle that was badly damaged in the explosion, which took place near a shopping complex and a residential development just east of Houston. Medical examiners from Harris County were trying to identify the remains that were recovered from the vehicle.

Investigators quickly ruled out terrorism, but remained uncertain as to whether the crash had been an accident or if the driver had targeted the pipeline, which is owned by a private company, Energy Transfer, and carries natural gas liquids.

Officials said video captured by a camera on a nearby van and published by a local television station, KHOU, showed the moment when the white vehicle, traveling quickly, crashed through the fencing that surrounded an aboveground valve in the pipeline and ignited.

Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in Harris County, described the crash as an accident in a news conference on Thursday, but she said that investigators were still looking into the details of what happened. “They’ll determine if it was more than that,” she said.

Though the fire had yet to be completely extinguished on Thursday, because of residual gas inside the pipeline, the flames had subsided from their original height, when the fire stretched high above nearby power lines and sent up black smoke that could be seen for miles.

The reduction in the fire and its intense heat allowed residents to return and assess the damage to their homes and belongings, some of which melted or were soaked by firefighters who had been trying to keep the fire from spreading.

Ms. Hidalgo said she had spoken to residents who were home at the time of the crash and described how the explosion shook their entire house. “Many of them don’t want to live there anymore,” she said.

The blast, near the line between Deer Park and the city of La Porte, occurred in an area that is home to refineries and petrochemical complexes along the Houston Ship Channel. Many residents work in the oil and gas industry.

In 2019, a large fire at a petrochemical storage facility in Deer Park spread toxic chemicals into the air and caused officials to issue shelter-in-place orders.

In a series of statements this week, Energy Transfer said that the company was cooperating with investigators and that affected residents had been provided with hotel accommodations while under evacuation. “The safest way to manage this process is to let the products burn off,” the company said, adding that there has been “no impact to air quality.”

At least seven houses in a neighborhood known as East Meadow had major damage, with dozens of others affected, said Kaitlyn Bluejacket, the spokeswoman for the city of Deer Park.

The reduced flames on Thursday allowed investigators to finally extract the vehicle, she said.

She said that the Deer Park Police Department would be leading the investigation into the crash, adding that the Federal Bureau of Investigation early on had looked into whether the explosion might have involved an act of terrorism. “The F.B.I. cleared that right off the bat,” she said.

Across the U.S. With The Times

Our reporters are exploring how America defines itself.

• Religion in Public Schools: As the idea of incorporating the Bible into classrooms gains traction, concerns about the mission of public schools have led even some conservative Christians to push back.
• Tensions in Springfield, Ohio: After Donald Trump and others made false claims that immigrants from Haiti in the city were eating pets, bomb threats have left some Haitian residents shaken.
• The Aftermath of a School Shooting: Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga., has yet to reopen after a deadly shooting. Students are unsure what to expect.
• Man vs. Trees: Utah footed a big bill when the owner of a hunting retreat knocked down trees on his and nearby properties. He made big environmental promises, but the science was lacking.
• Saving a Maine Fishing Town: After two devastating storms hit Stonington in January, plans are multiplying to raise and fortify wharves, roads and buildings. But will that be enough?