A large fire erupted at a Chevron oil refinery located in El Segundo, California, on Thursday night.
Police officers, firefighters, and other first responders were on the scene after receiving multiple reports of an explosion and massive flames, according to various reports. One witness told CBS News the explosion “felt like a small earthquake.”
Massive flames and smoke from the refinery fire could be seen for miles, Fox LA reported. Emergency crews were dispatched shortly after 9:30 p.m. local time. What caused the fire is not yet known, and according to El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel, no injuries have so far been reported.
“We were able to respond to the Chevron fire immediately. Our station is about a [quarter mile] away from the gates of Chevron,” said Pimentel. “Obviously, we are very concerned, and there is a lot of investigative work to be done to see what has happened.”
No evacuation orders were given to the residents of El Segundo. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell told CBS News that firefighters were able to contain the fire from spreading beyond one area of the refinery. However, she suggested El Segundo residents remain inside and avoid going near the city.
“It has been contained and there is no cause for alarm for El Segundo or the surrounding areas,” she said.
Local air quality officials warned that the fire could cause a deterioration in air quality in the immediate vicinity afterward. However, no concerning changes to the air have been observed at present.
“We’re currently not seeing any elevated of particulate matter or air toxins,” said Nahal Mogharabi, assistant deputy of communications for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. “That may change as the smoke settles this evening.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office posted about the refinery fire on its X account, stating it was working with emergency officials to “ensure public safety.”
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“Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,” said the governor’s office.
The Chevron refinery has over 1,100 miles of pipelines and covers an area of approximately 1000 acres according to the company. It has been in operation for 114 years, opening in 1911. It has more than 150 storage tanks and can produce up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil daily, most of which are used for transportation fuels such as “gasoline, jet, and diesel.”
