Heart-rending scenes of a massive explosion at the El Segundo Chevron Refinery in Southern California consumed social media early Friday (US time). It is “the largest producing oil refinery on the west coast,” according to Chevron’s website.

The fireball erupted just outside the iconic LAX airport and could be spotted from miles away in Los Angeles, according to police cited in US reports. Despite its proximity to the airport, the fire did not impact any operations, meaning no flights were cancelled or affected in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.

Firefighters responded to the jaw-dropping development at around 9:35 pm local time. No injuries were reported initially.

Officials respond after LA oil refinery explosion

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“We were able to respond with Chevron fire immediately, our station is about a .25 mile away from the gates of Chevron,” El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel said. “Obviously, we are very concerned, and there is a lot of investigative work to be done to see what has happened.”

LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell eventually disclosed that the fire had ben contained to one area of the refinery. “It has been contained and there is no cause for alarm for El Segundo or the surrounding areas,” she said, noting there was no reason for residents to evacuate. Nonetheless, they were advised to stay inside, with visitors being warned to keep off the city for now.

Thereafter, said Nahal Mogharabi, assistant deputy of communications for AQMD, revealed that while particulate matter or air toxins’ elevations hadn’t been recorded initially, the scene could flip upside down once the smoke settles down in the evening.

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This is a breaking story. More Information will be added soon…