Late Thursday night, a formidable fire erupted at the Chevron oil refinery situated just outside Los Angeles. The blaze sent massive flames soaring skyward, casting an orange glow that was observable for miles across the region.
In response to the emergency, authorities in El Segundo, California, promptly issued a directive for residents to shelter indoors. By Friday morning, the situation was brought under control, with the city confirming in a statement that the fire was contained and posed no ongoing threat to public safety. Fortunately, no evacuations were deemed necessary.
Despite the containment, the statement noted that “there is still an active fire and road closures remain in place,” indicating ongoing operational efforts at the site.
Local residents living close to the Chevron El Segundo Refinery reported feeling a distinct rumble before witnessing the terrifying sight of the engulfing flames.
Sam Daugherty, residing just ten blocks from the refinery, recounted to KABC-TV that “Pretty much the whole sky was orange,” prompting him to frantically pack an emergency bag.
Chevron confirmed late Thursday that all personnel were accounted for and, critically, no injuries were sustained at the refinery. A robust monitoring system indicated that the fire remained confined within the facility’s boundaries. The exact cause of the inferno was not disclosed in their statement.
Neither the El Segundo police nor the fire departments offered immediate comments regarding the incident, which seemed to have ignited without warning.
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell informed KCAL-TV that emergency fire crews successfully managed to restrict the blaze to a single area within the vast refinery complex.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office stated they were closely tracking developments and working in concert with both state and local agencies to safeguard the neighboring communities.
El Segundo, a picturesque beach community situated approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Los Angeles International Airport, was directly affected. LA Mayor Karen Bass reassured the public via a post on X, confirming no known impact on airport operations.
Mayor Bass added, “LAFD stands at the ready to assist with any mutual aid request.” Furthermore, a shelter-in-place order that had been issued for Manhattan Beach, located south of El Segundo, was rescinded on Friday.
Initial assessments thankfully reported no immediate air pollution concerns. The South Coast Air Quality Management District’s air quality index map for Friday indicated favorable levels across the wider Los Angeles area.
Spanning approximately 1.5 square miles (3.9 square kilometers) and crisscrossed by over 1,100 miles (1,770 kilometers) of pipelines, the Chevron refinery in El Segundo is a substantial operation. According to the company’s website, this facility, which began operations in 1911, processes up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil daily, producing vital products such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel.