LA PORTE, Texas (KTRK) — It’s now been two weeks since a pipeline fire in La Porte changed the lives of dozens of people.
Police say 51-year-old Jonathan McEvoy was the man found dead inside an SUV that investigators say crashed into the above-ground pipeline valve, causing an explosion and a fire that lasted multiple days.
A criminal investigation is still underway to determine what caused that crash, as families in the nearby neighborhood are left with costly repairs.
Two weeks later, the people of East Meadow Drive are still dealing with the aftermath of the grueling heat brought from a flame hundreds of feet in the air and out of a pipeline.
“Coming from a home to being homeless, I mean, that’s ridiculous for something we didn’t ask for,” pipeline fire victim Marian Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is one of several neighbors whose homes were damaged from the heat radiating off the ground and the water coming from firefighters trying to protect them.
“Our room had, basically, the most damage,” Rodriguez said. “This whole thing was full of water.”
Homes suffered water damage, roofs need replacement, windows are boarded up, and families are hurting.
“We’re holding up. We’re just trying to get it all back together now,” neighbor Robert Blair said.
On the outside, cracks can be seen on the bricks of Rodriguez’s home.
“When the pipe blew up, the house went like this, and some of the bricks throughout the whole house expanded,” Rodriguez explained.
“(It’s) mentally draining for people,” Blair said.
At this point, neighbors say they’ve had several adjustors and contractors help them understand how badly their homes got damaged and receive estimates on how much this will all cost.
“At this point, I’m going to submit everything through my insurance company and let them fight for us. I’m not willing to fight with a company that’s not willing to help me out with anything. I don’t have the energy for that anymore,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez says she feels defeated and unhelped by the owners of the Energy Transfer pipeline. Other neighbors told ABC13 that Energy Transfer has asked for receipts to reimburse the families for the damage.
Eyewitness News has consistently contacted Energy Transfer for comment since the original incident, including Tuesday, but it has not replied.
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