Fire erupts at Chevron refinery in El Segundo

Firefighters were battling a blaze at a Chevron refinery in Southern California late on Thursday, officials said, after a massive fireball erupted at the facility.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze, which was burning in El Segundo, a city in Los Angeles County. It was also not immediately clear if there had been any injuries.

Gov. Gavin Newsom was briefed on the fire, his office said.

“Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,” the office said in a statement.

A 3-hour shelter-in-place order was issued for areas within the Tree Section of Manhattan Beach, according to Alert SouthBay. “Bring all people and pets indoors,” the alert said. In an earlier social media post, the alert system said, “There is NO PUBLIC threat at this time and NO evacuation orders in place at this time.”

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass also said she’d been briefed on the fire. She also said she’d spoken with Holly J. Mitchell, the supervisor who represents El Segundo.

“LAFD stands at the ready to assist with any mutual aid request. There is no known impact to LAX at this time,” Bass said on social media. “We will continue to monitor this situation.”

The sprawling refinery, which is located just south of Los Angeles International Airport, has its own fire department on site, according to its website. 

The fire department in nearby Torrance, California, issued an alert, saying it was aware of the fire, but there was “no impact” to the city.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.