Fire at huge oil refinery may impact SoCal gas prices
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- A fire has broken out at a huge Chevron oil refinery in the Los Angeles area.
Police say the fire erupted late Tuesday night at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery.
The fire sent smoke into surrounding residential neighborhoods, and police advised people to close their windows.
Dramatic flames could be seen soon after the blaze broke out, but firefighters smothered it with foam, and within about a half-hour there was little visible flame. No injuries have been reported.
"In addition to Chevron Emergency Response personnel, engine units from El Segundo, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach fire departments also responded. The fire was quickly contained and extinguished at approximately 11:18 p.m.," Chevron said in a statement.
Fires at such refineries have had implications for gas prices, though it wasn't clear whether this one would.
The largest refinery on the West Coast supplies 20 percent of gas to Southern California and 40 percent of jet fuel to nearby LAX Airport, reports CBS Los Angeles.
Chevron was fined nearly $1 million by the state of California for a major fire in 2012 at a refinery in the San Francisco Bay Area.
