A large explosion at the Chevron oil refinery in El Segundo, California, late Thursday night ignited a fireball visible for miles and shook neighborhoods surrounding Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Authorities confirmed no injuries had been reported, though residents were advised to remain indoors as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

big fire at Chevron El Segundo refinery near Los Angeles

at 290,000 barrels/day of capacity, this is the second-largest refinery west of the Rockies pic.twitter.com/twqQyKoAZy

— Matt Bramanti (@mattbramanti) October 3, 2025

The blast occurred just outside of LAX and was reported around 9:35 p.m. local time, according to officials.

Witnesses across the city described hearing a loud explosion followed by a steady roar as flames lit up the night sky.

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Fire crews from El Segundo and Los Angeles responded within minutes.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated there was “no known impact” to airport operations.

Officials with LAX also told reporters that flights and scheduling were not affected by the incident.

El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel said the refinery’s proximity to the city’s fire station aided the emergency response.

“We were able to respond to the Chevron fire immediately, our station is about a .25 miles away from the gates of Chevron,” Pimentel said.

“Obviously, we are very concerned, and there is a lot of investigative work to be done to see what has happened.”

Social media posts and live footage showed towering orange flames and thick black smoke rising from the refinery.

One widely shared video depicted firefighters on a ladder spraying water onto the fire as the blaze climbed several stories high.

Nearby businesses and residents captured their own experiences.

Patrons at a Top Golf location watched the fire unfold before rushing outside to their vehicles when the scope of the explosion became clear.

Thirteen-year-old Julian Reese told the Los Angeles Times he and his father felt the blast before running outside to see flames in the distance.

Mark Rogers, who was playing soccer with an adult league at Aviation Park, said, “I thought we got nuked or something.”

The Torrance Police Department confirmed units were on site assisting at the refinery, which spans approximately two square miles.

The El Segundo facility supplies more than 40 percent of the jet fuel used across Southern California and over 20 percent of the region’s motor vehicle fuel. With a capacity to process 276,000 barrels of crude oil per day, it is the largest refinery on the West Coast.

The facility employs around 1,000 staff members and brings in an additional 1,000 contractors daily.

It also maintains an in-house fire department staffed with 24 full-time firefighters.

While no evacuations had been ordered, officials advised residents in nearby neighborhoods to stay inside and close their windows.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he had been briefed on the situation.

“Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,” he stated.

Energy analysts have warned that depending on the extent of the damage, the explosion could affect fuel supplies in Southern California, where drivers already face some of the nation’s highest gas prices.

This incident is not the first at the Chevron facility.

On November 8, 2022, a fire broke out and required multiple crews to extinguish after burning for several hours.

A previous incident on October 18, 2017, was attributed to a pump failure.

Officials said the cause of Thursday night’s explosion remains under investigation.

Chevron and local authorities are expected to provide updates as assessments of the damage continue.