Residents of California disregarded a shelter-in-place directive as they fled for safety following an explosion that transformed their seaside community into a chaos reminiscent of a disaster film.
The blast at a Chevron facility in the vicinity of Los Angeles reverberated through buildings like a seismic event, launching a fireball 300 feet skyward, while gridlock ensued as frightened locals attempted to escape the flames — even with emergency notifications urging them to remain indoors.
“I started receiving alerts on my phone. I thought, ‘No evacuation? You can’t be serious?’” recounted Alison Murray, a resident situated directly opposite the expansive refinery.
“I shouted for my husband, we gathered the kids, and bolted to our car to rush to my parents’ place, and even from there, the entire sky was orange,” she added.
The explosion erupted around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday at a facility for processing jet fuel within Chevron’s sprawling 1,000-acre El Segundo complex — recognized as the second-largest refinery in the U.S., responsible for producing one-fifth of the gasoline and 40% of Southern California’s jet fuel, according to the company.
This incident occurred at the southeastern part of the plant; as of the latest updates, emergency responders are still applying water to the area, but officials from El Segundo confirmed that the fire has been completely contained and poses “no public threat.”
Murray observed that while residents are accustomed to seeing flames shooting from the refinery’s flare towers, the substantial conflagration just blocks away was enough to drive many into frenzied escape.
“Most people in the neighborhood hopped into their cars and vacated. There was an overwhelming amount of traffic trying to move just a few blocks,” she explained.
“It sounded like a rocket at first. I thought there was a rocket launch happening,” shared Samantha Schwarz, 18, who was engaged in family games when the explosion rocked their home, causing a gust of heat to rush through the open windows.
“There was a flash, the house was violently shaking, and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, we need to get out of here!’”
She noted that her family rushed outside without even thinking to grab their phones; once outside, they were met with “sharp fumes” that assaulted their senses.
Citing a representative, Chevron stated the cause of the explosion is currently under investigation, and they are collaborating with local agencies to evaluate any continuing risks to the community.
Among these agencies is the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which is assessing the air for hazardous fumes and particles.
As of Thursday afternoon, air quality readings in El Segundo indicated a “good” status based on real-time monitoring data from IQAir.
Alison Murray’s family felt secure enough to come home on Friday, though they mentioned that their neighbor across the street opted to stay in a hotel.
She expressed a tentative hope regarding the air quality, remarking, “I don’t detect any odors. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not. With the Palisades Fire, the smell was noticeable, and that was from a distance.”
Greg Johns, 71, a longtime resident across from the refinery, has lived in the area for over 40 years.
“The windows shook more than I’ve ever felt during an earthquake,” he described.
However, Johns chose not to evacuate; in fact, he stepped outside to view the flames.
“Honestly, I found it thrilling. I’ve been around here for over 70 years, and I’ve never witnessed anything like this before,” Johns said.
“I was aware that they produced jet fuel there, but I presumed such events happened deep within the plant rather than this close. I guess remaining unaware can be comforting.”
