September 16, 2024, a towering flame gradually subsided in the aftermath of a massive pipeline explosion after a vehicle drove through a fence and struck an above-ground valve.

An evacuation area included 1,000 homes and initial shelter orders included schools. A firefighter and four people were injured.

Operators shut off the flow of natural gas liquids in the pipeline, but so much remained in the miles of tubing that firefighters could do nothing but watch and hose down adjacent homes.

20 miles (32 kilometers) of pipeline between the two closed valves had to burn off before the fire would stop.

Houston, Texas’ largest city, is the nation’s petrochemical heartland and is home to a cluster of refineries and plants and thousands of miles of pipelines. Explosions and fires are a familiar sight in the area, including some that have been deadly, raising recurring questions about the adequacy of industry efforts to protect the public and the environment.

The pipeline’s owner, Dallas-based Energy Transfer, said air monitoring equipment was being set up near the plume of fire and smoke, which could be seen from at least 10 miles (16 kilometers) away at one point.

W CHIP’s remote portable, fixed and underground natural gas detectors by TDLAS technology can detect, measure and alarm the early stage of natural gas leaks.

Compared with traditional detection technologies, W CHIP’s detectors are anti different kinds of interferences, calibration free, maintenance free, long lifespan, etc.