Human remains found inside SUV that crashed, igniting dayslong pipeline fire in Deer Park

Friday, September 20, 2024
Human remains found inside SUV pulled from pipeline fire burn site
Human remains were found inside the SUV that was pulled from the burn site of the pipeline fire near Spencer Highway in the Deer Park/La Porte area.

DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- City officials confirmed that a pipeline fire on the border of Deer Park and La Porte has finally stopped burning, nearly four days since exploding.

The flame stopped hours after police said human remains were found inside the white SUV that was pulled from the site on Thursday morning.

The video above is from a previous report.

Officials believe the vehicle crashed into a valve and sparked the fire that's been burning for days.

SkyEye was live over the scene during Eyewitness News at 7 a.m. as crews hooked up the burned SUV with a winch and dragged it away onto Spencer Highway on Thursday.

The vehicle officials believe crashed into a valve, igniting a pipeline fire near Spencer Highway in the Deer Park/La Porte area has been removed.

Investigators surrounded the vehicle and looked inside.

Harris County medical examiners recovered and removed the remains. They'll now begin working through the identification process, which will take some time, Deer Park police say.

Energy Transfer, the company that owns the pipeline, said the fire stopped burning on Thursday around 6:30 p.m., about four days after the crash on Monday morning.

RELATED: Pipeline owner Energy Transfer still not answering questions on Deer Park fire's 2nd day

SkyEye was live over the area as crews removed the vehilce and investigators surrounded it for the first time since Monday's fire began.

Thursday also marked the first day since the incident that residents in the neighborhood closest to the pipeline are waking up in their homes.

Still, there are some homes that are too damaged to stay in, if not from the flames, from the water firefighters used to try to keep the fire from spreading.

SEE ALSO: 'I don't think we can save anything': Families near pipeline return to damaged homes, melted cars

Melted cars, melted shutters off homes, and destroyed playground equipment still remain.

The pipeline's flames stopped burning on Thursday after crews said they made the necessary repairs to the infrastructure.

Any impacted homeowner needing assistance can call 855-430-4491 or email LaPorteResponse@EnergyTransfer.com.

RELATED: Do you know if you live near a pipeline? Here's how you can find out