Texas pipeline fire visible from 20 miles away

A pipeline containing natural gas near Cuero, Texas, ruptured Sunday night, causing an explosion that shook nearby homes and shot flames up 100 feet in the air.

DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky said the pipeline is now shut off, and by 9:15 p.m., flames were at 20 to 25 feet. The fire is burning itself out, and gas has been rerouted from the line. Following the explosion, seven homes were evacuated, and Zavesky said most residents will be able to return to their homes Monday.

The blaze could be seen from 20 miles away, the Victoria Advocate reports, and local residents say the flames are so bright, they won't be able to get any sleep tonight. "It looks like daylight out here," Roger Zimmerman told the Advocate. "It was a big boom, and it shook the house. You can feel the heat. ... It was pretty intense. It still is intense." No injuries have been reported.

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