A massive fire erupted late Thursday at the Chevron El Segundo refinery just outside Los Angeles, sending towering flames into the night sky that were visible for miles.
Residents described hearing a rumble before seeing an orange glow engulf the skyline. &ldquo;Pretty much the whole sky was orange,&rdquo; said Sam Daugherty, who lives 10 blocks away and rushed to pack a bag in panic.&nbsp;By Friday morning, firefighters had contained the blaze to one section of the sprawling refinery, which sits less than two miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Officials in El Segundo urged residents to stay indoors as crews battled the flames through the night.
Chevron confirmed that all employees were safe and accounted for. &ldquo;There were no injuries, and monitoring systems showed the fire did not move beyond the facility&rsquo;s fence line,&rdquo; the company said. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.&nbsp;California Governor Gavin Newsom&rsquo;s office said it was closely monitoring the situation, while LA Mayor Karen Bass assured there was &ldquo;no impact to LAX operations.&rdquo;
The refinery, operational since 1911, processes up to 290,000 barrels of crude oil daily and covers 1.5 square miles. Though the fire is now under control, road closures remain in place and officials continue air-quality monitoring.&nbsp;This isn&rsquo;t the first such incident. The refinery has witnessed multiple fires over the past decade, including a major one in 2012 that led to a near $1 million fine for Chevron.
For now, officials say there is no immediate air pollution risk, and a shelter-in-place order issued for nearby Manhattan Beach has been lifted.

Massive blaze at Chevron El Segundo refinery near LA contained; no injuries reported

Chevron Refinery Fire Near LA Contained

Massive blaze at Chevron El Segundo refinery near LA contained; no injuries reported

October 4, 2025 | 09:53 IST