What to Know About Pipeline Fire Burning for 3rd Day in Houston’s Suburbs

DEER PARK, Texas—A pipeline fire that forced hundreds of people to flee their homes in the Houston suburbs burned for a third day Wednesday, with officials saying they don’t expect it to be extinguished until sometime Thursday evening. Officials said residents who had to evacuate would be allowed to return to their homes starting Wednesday evening. Authorities have offered few details about what prompted the driver of an SUV to hit an aboveground valve on the pipeline on Monday, sparking the blaze. Here are some things to know about the situation with the pipeline fire: What Caused the Fire? Officials say the underground pipeline, which runs under high-voltage power lines in a grassy corridor between a Walmart and a residential neighborhood in Deer Park, was damaged when the SUV driver left the store’s parking lot, entered the wide grassy area and went through a fence surrounding the valve equipment....