A fire erupted at the Valero Benicia Refinery on Monday, sending giant plumes of black smoke into the air as concerned residents filmed the ordeal with their phones.
The refinery, which is located at 3400 East 2nd Street in Benicia, a town just north of San Francisco, processes sour crude oils into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and asphalt, according to Valero’s website.
Information was scarce about the blaze, but reports indicate that a massive firefighting presence was spotted in the region battling the flames. What caused the fire is unknown, but the facility contains a wealth of flammable material…