A massive fire broke out Thursday night at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo, just south of Los Angeles, sending towering flames and thick plumes of smoke into the sky.

Videos circulating on social media captured the dramatic scene, showing flames engulfing parts of the facility and people fleeing in panic.  California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed the blaze via the platform X, saying state and local agencies were coordinating to protect nearby communities and ensure public safety.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated that the city’s fire department is on standby to assist and that, as of now, there is “no known impact to LAX,” the major airport near the site.  Details around the fire’s cause and whether anyone was harmed remain unclear.

The El Segundo refinery, which processes about 290,000 barrels per day and stores up to 12.5 million barrels across approximately 150 tanks, is a substantial facility in the region’s fuel supply chain.