'Thought we got nuked': Refinery fire turns California sky orange
What's the story
A massive fire broke out at Chevron's El Segundo refinery, located just outside Los Angeles, on Thursday night. The incident occurred around 9:30pm local time. Mark Rogers, a local resident, told the Los Angeles Times that he thought "we got nuked or something," after his soccer match was canceled due to heavy smoke from the blaze.
Safety measures
Residents felt the explosion
Kevin Mohr, another local resident, described seeing "300-foot flames" and was unsure if there had been a plane crash or an earthquake. The El Segundo Police Department confirmed they received multiple reports of an explosion at the refinery. Manhattan Beach fire officials issued a shelter-in-place order for three hours after the fire broke out, asking residents to close windows and bring people and pets indoors.
Twitter Post
Fire contained
❗️⚠️🇺🇲 - Explosion at Chevron El Segundo Refinery
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) October 3, 2025
University of California San Diego's ALERTCalifornia cameras captured the initial explosion at the Chevron El Segundo Oil Refinery, just outside Los Angeles, on the evening of October 2, 2025.
The blast triggered a large fire… pic.twitter.com/VAYtCb9XiS
Containment efforts
Fire has been contained
LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said the fire has been contained to one section of the refinery and there is no cause for alarm. The 1,000-acre El Segundo facility, operated by Chevron, has its own fire department that was able to respond immediately with assistance from the El Segundo Fire Department. The Air Quality Management District stated that it had not detected any higher levels of toxins. That may change as the smoke settles, AQMD assistant deputy of communications said.
Facility details
History of fires at facility
The El Segundo refinery was established in 1911 under the Standard Oil Company of California. Its rated capacity is 290,000 barrels per day with a storage capacity of 12.5 million barrels across around 150 major tanks. The facility produces gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. It has experienced fires in the past, including one in 2017 after a pump failure.