Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2025 11:56AM GMT
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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (KABC) — Crews on Friday morning continued battling a massive fire that erupted at a Chevron refinery in El Segundo, which sent up large flames and plumes of smoke into the air.
The fire broke out around 9 p.m Thursday and could be seen for miles across the South Bay.
“All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries,” Allison Cook, a Chevron spokesperson, said in a statement.
The refinery is the largest oil-producing site on the west coast and it isn’t the first explosion it has seen.
It was not immediately clear what caused Thursday’s blaze.
Here’s how the news is developing.
Shelter-in-place order lifted
A shelter-in-place order that was issued for Manhattan Beach’s Tree Section has been lifted.
The order was lifted around 1 a.m. Friday. City officials said there was no threat to the public
Chevron issues statement, says there are no injuries
A Chevron spokesperson issued a statement following the fire at the refinery in El Segundo, saying:
“Chevron fire department personnel, including emergency responders from the City of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach are actively responding to an isolated fire inside the Chevron El Segundo Refinery. All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries.
“No evacuation orders for area residents have been put in place by emergency response agencies monitoring the incident, and no exceedances have been detected by the facilities fence line monitoring system.”
What we know about Chevron facility in El Segundo
Chevron’s El Segundo refinery covers roughly 1.5 square miles and has more than 1,100 miles of pipelines, according to the company’s website.
The refinery, which has been in operation since 1911, can refine up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil per day, including gasoline, jet and diesel fuels, according to the company’s website.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Residents recall hearing loud ‘rumble’
As fire crews rushed to battle the flames, many El Segundo residents recalled hearing a loud blast and even “a rumble” when the blaze erupted.
As fire crews rushed to battle the flames, many El Segundo residents recalled hearing a loud blast and even “a rumble” when the blaze erupted.
“It sounded a little bit like someone was inside my apartment, and pretty much immediately started getting texts,” said one resident.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire or whether anyone had been injured.