Oct. 2 blaze occurred at California’s largest refinery, but officials lifted brief shelter-in-place order
A large fire broke out late Oct. 2 at Chevron’s giant El Segundo refinery in L.A. County after an explosion, lighting the night sky and drawing responses from facility, local and county fire crews. Officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the incident and the extent of damage to the plant, which dates back to 1911.
Operations at nearby Los Angeles International Airport were not immediately affected, according to the Associated Press. The refinery is a major supplier to the airport and key to Southern California’s fuel market, providing about 40% of the region’s jet fuel and 20% of its motor-vehicle fuels, according to the news service.
Chevron said all employees and contractors were accounted for and no injuries were reported.
“Emergency responders from the City of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach are actively responding to an isolated fire inside the Chevron El Segundo Refinery,” spokesperson Allison Cook said, adding there were no injuries and the incident was confined to one area of the plant, according to a statement provided to KABC-TV.
The blaze prompted a brief, targeted shelter-in-place advisory for portions of neighboring Manhattan Beach overnight; the city lifted the order early on Oct. 3, and there was no public threat.
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South Coast AQMD | Chevron El Segundo Emissions Report
South Coast Air Quality Management District communicated through local outlets that its monitors were not showing elevated particulate levels or air toxins in nearby communities during active firefighting, while cautioning that readings could change as smoke dispersed.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it was coordinating in real time with state and local officials to ensure public safety.
South Coast Air Quality Management District monitoring map on Oct. 3 at 5:25 AM PT showed normal conditions across Los Angeles County following an explosion and fire at the Chevron El Segundo refinery, with no elevated pollutants detected. Image courtesy SCAQMD
Reuters, citing industry sources, reported the fire originated in the refinery’s Isomax 7 unit—equipment that upgrades mid-distillate feed into jet fuel.
Officials said the fire was contained to one section of the facility, although flames continued into early Oct. 3 as crews cooled surrounding equipment.
City and county officials said no evacuation orders were issued in El Segundo.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell told a CBS News crew that the fire was contained to one area, advising residents to stay indoors while responders worked.
Sprawling across roughly 1.5 sq miles along the coast, Chevron’s El Segundo complex is among the largest refineries on the West Coast, with nameplate capacity around 276,000–290,000 barrels per day.
Any extended outage of jet fuel or gasoline-producing units could tighten supplies in California’s relatively isolated fuels market, potentially pressuring prices until repairs are complete.
As of early Oct. 3, Chevron and local officials had not released a cause or a damage estimate. Regulatory followup typically involves coordination with local agencies by the state Office of Emergency Services, as well as emissions monitoring and reporting to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Depending on the circumstances, notifications may also be required from Cal/OSHA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The air quality agency reminded residents that conditions can change as smoke settles and advised them to stay alert to official updates.
ENR will update with confirmed details on unit status, repair timelines and any formal regulatory actions once Chevron and agencies publish incident reports or filings.
