Driver crashes into gas pipeline, causing huge fire in Texas

MANSFIELD, Texas (AP) — One person was critically injured when their vehicle struck a natural gas pipeline in a Dallas suburb, sparking a huge fire and triggering evacuations of a nearby neighborhood, authorities said.

The fire in Mansfield was extinguished after a few hours and residents were allowed to return home early Wednesday, the city’s fire department said.

The blaze ignited at about 1 a.m. Wednesday when a vehicle struck the pipeline, officials said, and gas near the site was shut off. The driver was airlifted to a hospital with serious burn injuries.