Additional Coverage:
Refinery Fire Erupts in El Segundo, No Injuries Reported
Firefighters responded to a significant blaze at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo late Thursday after a massive fireball was observed at the Southern California facility. Company and government officials confirmed that no injuries were reported, and all refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for.
The cause of the fire, burning in the Los Angeles County city of El Segundo, was not immediately clear. Allison Cook, a spokesperson for Chevron, assured the public that despite the visible flames, there were no known injuries among workers.
Responding to the “isolated” incident within the sprawling facility, Chevron’s on-site fire department was quickly augmented by emergency personnel from El Segundo and Manhattan Beach. Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) also stated its readiness to assist if mutual aid was requested.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the situation, with his office issuing a statement that they were “coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also confirmed she had been briefed and was monitoring the situation, noting no known impact to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is located just north of the refinery.
While Chevron spokesperson Cook stated that “no evacuation orders for area residents have been put in place by emergency response agencies monitoring the incident,” a three-hour shelter-in-place order was issued by Alert SouthBay for residents within the Tree Section of Manhattan Beach. Residents in that specific area were advised to bring all people and pets indoors. Earlier, Alert SouthBay had stated there was “NO PUBLIC threat at this time and NO evacuation orders in place.”
Authorities continue to monitor air quality, with Chevron reporting no exceedances detected by its fence-line monitoring system. The fire department in nearby Torrance also confirmed they were aware of the incident but reported “no impact” to their city.
This remains a developing story.