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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (NEXSTAR) A fire erupted at the Chevron oil refinery near Los Angeles on Thursday night, projecting large flames into the sky that were visible from afar.
Authorities in El Segundo, California, advised residents to remain indoors. By early Friday, the fire was under control, posing no danger to public safety, according to a city statement. No evacuation orders were issued.
“There is still an active fire and road closures remain in place,” it said.
No injuries were reported at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery, and all staff were accounted for, the company stated late Thursday, noting that monitoring systems confirmed the fire remained within the facility’s bounds. The cause of the fire was not mentioned in the statement.
The refinery, situated at 324 West El Segundo Boulevard, has its own fire department, which successfully contained the fire and stopped it from spreading across the industrial site by using remotely operated water lines to manage the flames.
The El Segundo police and fire departments did not immediately comment on the fire, which appeared to have erupted suddenly.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced it was overseeing the situation, coordinating efforts with state and local officials to ensure the community’s safety.
Pepperdine University, which has a west L.A. campus slightly over five miles from the refinery, stated they were observing the incident and noted that the flames could be seen from their Malibu campus, located more than 20 miles away.
El Segundo is a beachside city located about a mile south of the Los Angeles International Airport. LA Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a post on X that there was no known impact to the airport.
“LAFD stands at the ready to assist with any mutual aid request,” she said.
The refinery covers roughly 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) and has more than 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of pipelines, according to the company’s website. The refinery, which has been in operation since 1911, can refine up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil per day, including gasoline, jet and diesel fuels, according to the company’s website.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
