On Thursday night, a massive fire broke out at the ExxonMobil oil refinery located near Los Angeles in El Segundo, sending flames soaring high into the sky that could be seen for miles away. This incident has caused disruption in the supply of California’s energy market.
El Segundo refinery is the second-largest refinery in the United States operated by ExxonMobil, supplying 20% of Southern California’s motor vehicle fuels and 40% of aviation fuel.
ExxonMobil spokesperson Allison Cook stated in an email that the fire did not result in any casualties, and all refinery workers have been safely located.
The cause of the explosion at the refinery is currently unknown. The refinery provides aviation fuel for the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Officials in El Segundo urged people to stay indoors. The city stated in a release that as of early Friday morning, the fire has been brought under control, and public safety is not at risk. Local officials mentioned that there have been no evacuation orders issued for nearby residents, some of whom live in apartment buildings across the street from the refinery.
Although the fire is under control, it has not been completely extinguished, and firefighting personnel remained at the scene on Friday morning to contain the blaze. Roads in the vicinity are still closed.
Residents near the refinery described hearing a loud explosion followed by seeing flames. “The sky almost turned orange,” said Sam Daugherty, who lives ten blocks away, to KABC TV, as he anxiously began packing his belongings.
According to Reuters, two sources mentioned that the fire occurred at the refinery’s Isomax 7 unit, responsible for converting mid-distillate fuel oil into aviation fuel.
The impact of the fire on the refinery’s aviation fuel production capacity and its broader output remains uncertain at this time.
The refinery has a total oil storage capacity of about 15 million barrels across approximately 150 major storage tanks. Sources indicated uncertainty about the current amount of aviation fuel stored.
The office of California Governor Newsom stated that they are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with state and local authorities to protect surrounding communities.