Chevron refinery near LA explodes into fireball
A massive explosion triggered shockwaves through Los Angeles in the late hours of Thursday evening, triggering a huge fireball that the witnesses captured in stunning video.
The blast took place just outside LAX Airport, where an oil refinery went up in flames. The inferno could be seen for miles after it ignited a Chevron-owned facility in El Segundo, officials said.
Firefighters arrived on the scene around 9:35 p.m. after residents reported an ear-splitting blast in their backyard.
No injuries have yet been reported, but a shelter-in-place order has remained in effect on Friday morning, with residents being instructed to keep their windows closed to avoid inhaling some of the toxic fumes emanating from the plant.
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What started with the sound of a bunker-busting bomb going off morphed into a “sudden steady roar,” according to witnesses who watched a billowing plume of smoke precede fireballs that clouded an otherwise starry night sky.
Images of the scene posted to social media show firefighters clinging to ladders and dousing the flames with high-pressure hoses, which rose several stories high by that point.
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The affected oil refinery spans two square miles and supplies more than 40% of the jet fuel and more than 20% of the motor vehicle fuel for Southern California, according to the Torrance Police Department. It is the largest oil refinery on the West Coast and is capable of processing 276,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
More than 1,000 employees work the site, along with 1,000 contractors on any given day. The refinery also carries its own fire department staff and 24-hour fire response team.
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With two thousand people working at the site, it is surprising that no injuries have been reported so far. California already has some of the highest gas prices in the country, and this is likely to increase them even more. Several years ago, California was the home of the Hot Rod car culture. Now it is dominated by the climate kooks.
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