A fire erupted at the Chevron oil refinery near Los Angeles on Thursday evening, casting dramatic flames that could be seen from miles away.
Authorities in El Segundo, California, advised residents to remain indoors. Approximately half an hour after the blaze began, they released a statement assuring that there was no immediate danger to public safety and that evacuations were unnecessary.
No injuries occurred at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery, and all employees were confirmed safe, the company declared Thursday night. They also stated that monitoring showed the fire was confined within the facility’s boundaries. The cause of the fire was not disclosed in the statement.
The El Segundo police and fire departments did not immediately comment on the fire, which appeared to have erupted suddenly.
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell told KCAL-TV that fire crews had contained the blaze to one section of the refinery.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office reported that they were keeping an eye on the situation and working with state and local agencies to safeguard the community.
El Segundo, situated about a mile south of Los Angeles International Airport, is a coastal city. LA Mayor Karen Bass noted in a social media post that the airport remained unaffected by the incident.
“LAFD stands at the ready to assist with any mutual aid request,” she said.
According to the company’s website, the refinery spans around 1.5 square miles and contains over 1,100 miles of pipelines. In operation since 1911, it has the capacity to process 290,000 barrels of crude oil daily, producing gasoline, jet, and diesel fuels.
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Golden reported from Seattle.
