Federal authorities have not said whether the arrest of Bryce Reed was connected to the fire and blast, and Robert Champion of the Dallas office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives declined Thursday to discuss whether a pipe bomb could cause the damage that led to the explosions.

CNN: Cause of catastrophic Texas explosions remains mystery

To Michael Sullivan, the acting head of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the two Boston explosions could have sought to cause people fleeing the first blast to move toward the second one.

CNN: Past bombings prepared response in Boston