There were reports of a significant explosion in the Los Angeles area on Thursday night.
Social media was flooded with videos and images showing a massive fireball lighting up the Southern California sky from the Chevron Products Company refinery in El Segundo.
According to CBS News, “Officers and firefighters responded to Chevron refineries in El Segundo after receiving multiple reports of the explosion.”
Residents indicated that a “major blast” occurred around 9:30 PM, as noted by the Los Angeles Times.
Mike Rodgers shared his experience, stating, “We thought we had been nuked or something,” mentioning that smoke from the fire led to the cancellation of his adult soccer league match.
No evacuation orders were issued, and city officials reassured the public that there was no immediate threat to safety.
Luckily, no injuries were reported at that time.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed that the LA Fire Department was ready to assist local responders.
The impact on Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was unclear, Bass noted in a post.
The El Segundo refinery has its own fire station to tackle emergencies, as reported by KTLA.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is being kept informed about the situation and is in contact with local authorities.
Newsom’s office stated, “Our offices coordinate in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding communities and ensure public safety.”
Opened in 1911 under the Standard California Petroleum Company, the El Segundo facility was rebranded as Chevron Corporation in 1984.
Chevron’s website indicates that the refinery has a capacity of 290,000 barrels per day, producing gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel, with a total storage capacity of 12.5 million barrels across about 150 major tanks.
Interestingly, Chevron had taken the refinery offline briefly in May but resumed operations a week later.
