Plumes of smoke were seen rising above Chevron’s oil refinery in southern California on Thursday after reports of an explosion, according to US media and videos shared online.
Residents in El Segundo, a coastal city just south of Los Angeles International Airport, posted footage showing a massive fireball erupting from the refinery accompanied by a loud, prolonged rumble.
El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel told local station K-CAL News around 11 pm (0600 GMT) that there had been no reports of injuries. He added that the cause of the fire was still unknown.
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell confirmed that fire crews had contained the blaze to one section of the refinery and said residents were not required to evacuate.
“It has been contained and there is no cause for alarm for El Segundo or the surrounding areas,” Mitchell stated.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also confirmed he had been briefed on the incident. “Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,” it announced on X.
According to the Los Angeles Times, flames had reduced significantly within an hour of the first explosion report at around 0430 GMT, though smoke and fire were still visible across the South Bay.
Chevron describes its El Segundo refinery as the largest oil refinery on the US West Coast, with a processing capacity of more than 276,000 barrels of crude oil per day.