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3 October 2025
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Massive fire erupts at Chevron refinery in El Segundo, US
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A large fire broke out Thursday night, 2 October 2025, at the Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, Los Angeles County, sending towering flames and thick smoke into the night sky and prompting a swift emergency response from multiple agencies. Around 21h30, residents across the South Bay region reported hearing a loud explosion followed by a bright orange glow. The fire, visible for miles, originated from one section of the refinery and was quickly contained by Chevron’s on-site fire department and crews from El Segundo, Redondo Beach, and Manhattan Beach.
“We felt the house move. The windows shook. We heard the explosion and then felt the fire,” said El Segundo resident Deb Dipprey, whose home faces the refinery.
Chevron’s own emergency response team was first on scene, quickly joined by municipal fire departments from El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach. Together, they coordinated a multi-agency attack on the fire, which erupted around 21h30 and was visible for miles.
Crews deployed high-capacity foam systems and elevated water streams to contain the fire within the affected unit, preventing it from spreading to adjacent processing areas. The refinery’s complex infrastructure—spanning over 1,100 miles of pipeline—posed significant challenges, requiring precise tactical decisions and constant monitoring of volatile materials.
“Our firefighters worked swiftly and decisively to contain the incident,” said El Segundo Fire Chief Dee Hardin. “Thanks to their training and coordination, we avoided a much larger disaster.”
Despite the intensity of the flames, no injuries were reported, and no evacuations were ordered. Air quality monitors remained active throughout the night, with officials confirming no hazardous emissions beyond the facility’s perimeter.
The last of the visible flames were extinguished about 07h15am on Friday, according to Fox 11 helicopter coverage.
No evacuation orders were issued. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the nearby Manhattan Beach's Tree Section Neighborhood due to the fire and was lifted after 2 a.m. Friday.
“The fire broke out in the refinery's Isomax 7 unit, which converts mid-distillate fuel oil into jet fuel”, two sources told the Reuters news agency. The reformer and the fluid catalytic cracker were shut, losing more than 100,000-barrels per day gasoline output, a trader said, citing Wood Mackenzie."
The refinery is the "largest producing oil refinery on the West Coast, processing more than 276,000 barrels of crude per day," according to the plant's website.
According to Reuters, the refinery is California's second-largest, and Chevron's second-largest in the U.S., supplying a fifth of all motor vehicle fuels and 40% of the jet fuel used in the isolated southern California market.
California's largest refinery is Marathon Oil Corp.'s Los Angeles Refinery in nearby Carson.
"The incident took place at a processing unit located near the southeast corner of the facility," Ross Allen, adviser at Chevron, USA Corporate Affairs, said in an emailed statement. "Following Chevron's active response along with support from the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach emergency services, the fire is now out. As a result, Chevron has launched an internal investigation to determine the cause.
"Throughout the night, Chevron's emergency response team has been actively managing the situation with a primary focus on ensuring the safety of employees, responders and the community. All personnel and contractors have been accounted for, and no injuries have been reported. As a precautionary measure, Chevron's Health Safety and Environmental team has been conducting mobile air monitoring in the community."
Allen said the company "is actively working with local, state and federal agencies, including CalOSHA, CALOSPR and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, who were notified and are monitoring the incident."
Chevron is also providing information updates to The California Energy Commission is also being updated, he said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose district includes El Segundo and who also serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying the fire was "fully extinguished."
"Throughout this incident, I have been in contact with El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel, who has briefed me and has also been in communication with Chevron to ensure that the fire was contained," she said. "I have also connected with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on the status of air quality, and it has reported that there were some elevated levels of volatile organic compounds at both refinery fence line and community monitors. As of 9:30 (Friday) morning, the levels at these monitors are currently at safe threshold levels. AQMD will continue to monitor the air quality and as the situation is evolving."
Despite the dramatic visuals, no injuries or evacuations were reported. All personnel were accounted for, and air quality monitors showed no exceedances beyond the facility’s fence line.
Official response
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed coordination with local and state agencies to ensure public safety. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated there was no known impact to LAX, located just a few miles north of the refinery7.
The cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation.
Source: Various including LA Times, Reuters and Spectrum News
“We felt the house move. The windows shook. We heard the explosion and then felt the fire,” said El Segundo resident Deb Dipprey, whose home faces the refinery.
Chevron’s own emergency response team was first on scene, quickly joined by municipal fire departments from El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach. Together, they coordinated a multi-agency attack on the fire, which erupted around 21h30 and was visible for miles.
Crews deployed high-capacity foam systems and elevated water streams to contain the fire within the affected unit, preventing it from spreading to adjacent processing areas. The refinery’s complex infrastructure—spanning over 1,100 miles of pipeline—posed significant challenges, requiring precise tactical decisions and constant monitoring of volatile materials.
“Our firefighters worked swiftly and decisively to contain the incident,” said El Segundo Fire Chief Dee Hardin. “Thanks to their training and coordination, we avoided a much larger disaster.”
Despite the intensity of the flames, no injuries were reported, and no evacuations were ordered. Air quality monitors remained active throughout the night, with officials confirming no hazardous emissions beyond the facility’s perimeter.
The last of the visible flames were extinguished about 07h15am on Friday, according to Fox 11 helicopter coverage.
No evacuation orders were issued. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the nearby Manhattan Beach's Tree Section Neighborhood due to the fire and was lifted after 2 a.m. Friday.
“The fire broke out in the refinery's Isomax 7 unit, which converts mid-distillate fuel oil into jet fuel”, two sources told the Reuters news agency. The reformer and the fluid catalytic cracker were shut, losing more than 100,000-barrels per day gasoline output, a trader said, citing Wood Mackenzie."
The refinery is the "largest producing oil refinery on the West Coast, processing more than 276,000 barrels of crude per day," according to the plant's website.
According to Reuters, the refinery is California's second-largest, and Chevron's second-largest in the U.S., supplying a fifth of all motor vehicle fuels and 40% of the jet fuel used in the isolated southern California market.
California's largest refinery is Marathon Oil Corp.'s Los Angeles Refinery in nearby Carson.
"The incident took place at a processing unit located near the southeast corner of the facility," Ross Allen, adviser at Chevron, USA Corporate Affairs, said in an emailed statement. "Following Chevron's active response along with support from the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach emergency services, the fire is now out. As a result, Chevron has launched an internal investigation to determine the cause.
"Throughout the night, Chevron's emergency response team has been actively managing the situation with a primary focus on ensuring the safety of employees, responders and the community. All personnel and contractors have been accounted for, and no injuries have been reported. As a precautionary measure, Chevron's Health Safety and Environmental team has been conducting mobile air monitoring in the community."
Allen said the company "is actively working with local, state and federal agencies, including CalOSHA, CALOSPR and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, who were notified and are monitoring the incident."
Chevron is also providing information updates to The California Energy Commission is also being updated, he said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose district includes El Segundo and who also serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying the fire was "fully extinguished."
"Throughout this incident, I have been in contact with El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel, who has briefed me and has also been in communication with Chevron to ensure that the fire was contained," she said. "I have also connected with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on the status of air quality, and it has reported that there were some elevated levels of volatile organic compounds at both refinery fence line and community monitors. As of 9:30 (Friday) morning, the levels at these monitors are currently at safe threshold levels. AQMD will continue to monitor the air quality and as the situation is evolving."
Despite the dramatic visuals, no injuries or evacuations were reported. All personnel were accounted for, and air quality monitors showed no exceedances beyond the facility’s fence line.
Official response
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed coordination with local and state agencies to ensure public safety. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated there was no known impact to LAX, located just a few miles north of the refinery7.
The cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation.
Source: Various including LA Times, Reuters and Spectrum News
