DEER PARK, Texas — Evacuation orders were lifted in Deer Park and La Porte on Wednesday night, more than 48 hours after a massive pipeline fire broke out.
That meant some homeowners were able to go see the damage left behind.
Steve Hutto and his wife, Diane, walked us through their home. They said it's not about what's gone, but what remains that matters most.
"They should be in this box right here," he said. "They don’t look to be bothered. They look to be in good shape. That's all I care about. That's literally all I care about," he said.
Walking through their house was gut-wrenching as debris and water littered the floor. Their home on East Meadow Drive in Deer Park is one of the closest to the still-burning pipeline fire.
"I thought it was a nuclear bomb," Diane Hutto said. "I just fell out of the chair and the dogs were already out the door trying to get out and then when I got out of the door downstairs, I knew what it was -- the pipeline," she said.
On Wednesday night, it was still hot inside the Hutto's home from the blast knocking out their power. Everything felt damp from the water sprayed on their home while firefighters were working to contain the spread of the fire.
"I don't know what we're going to do now," Diane said.
They're still trying to process and assess the damage to their home as it's everywhere they look.
"I've never had anything like this happen to me. It sickens me. You work all this time to make your house what you want it and in the blink of an eye, it's gone," Steve said.
The survival of his son's photos is a lone bright spot and a reminder that in the middle of their worst hour, there's light shining on the path to a better tomorrow.
Steve said he's meeting with his insurance company on Thursday. He'll get an idea of what comes next for their now-destroyed family home.