Massive oil refinery fire breaks out near L.A.

Firefighters contained a large fire that broke out on Thursday night at Chevron’s El Segundo oil refinery outside Los Angeles. Locals reported seeing flames from miles away after hearing an explosion. The blaze broke out in the southeast corner of the refinery around 9:30 p.m. local time, according to a Friday morning update from the city. Several local emergency crews responded to the fire alongside Chevron’s fire crew, the El Segundo fire department said Friday morning. The flames were contained by Friday morning and posed no public safety threat, the city said. It encouraged locals to remain indoors.

What caused the fire? Chevron will investigate the fire’s cause once the flames are safely extinguished, the El Segundo fire department said. In a statement to WORLD for this story, the company did not answer a question about the fire’s cause.

Was anyone injured? No injuries were reported, and all Chevron personnel are accounted for, the company told WORLD Friday morning. No evacuation orders were issued for surrounding communities, and Chevron’s system showed the fire did not exceed the facilities’ fence line, the company added. El Segundo first responders hold joint training and run safety drills with Chevron’s fire crews to prepare for incidents like this, according to Mayor Chris Pimentel. 

What was the neighborhood like on Friday morning? The Pacific Coast Highway will remain shut down in both directions from El Segundo Boulevard to Rosecrans Avenue as officials continue monitoring the fire. Gov. Gavin Newsom was briefed on the fire and coordinated agencies to protect the surrounding community, according to a Friday morning statement.