If you’ve ever driven down Vista Del Mar with the windows down, you know the smell. It’s that heavy, metallic, salty scent of industry meeting the Pacific Ocean. But when the Chevron oil refinery fire El Segundo hit the headlines, that familiar smell turned into something much more acrid. Most people living in the South Bay—from Manhattan Beach down to the edge of Playa del Rey—don’t think about the refinery until the flares start roaring or the smoke starts drifting. It's just a backdrop. Then, suddenly, it's the only thing that matters.
Fire.
It’s the word no one wants to hear when they live next to one of the largest petroleum refineries on the West Coast. This facility isn't just a collection of pipes; it’s a 1,000-acre beast that processes over 260,000 barrels of crude oil every single day. When something goes wrong at a place that produces about 20% of the motor fuel used in Southern California, the ripples move fast. They move through the air, through the local economy, and straight into the gas prices at the pump on the corner.
What Really Went Down During the Chevron Oil Refinery Fire El Segundo?
Let’s get into the weeds. Most people remember the visual—the thick, ink-black plume of smoke snaking its way over the Santa Monica Bay. It looked like a disaster movie. On the ground, the reality was a mix of high-stakes engineering and frantic communication. In December 2022, for instance, a fire broke out that sent the local community into a tailspin. This wasn't a minor "flaring event," which the refinery does to safely burn off excess gas. This was an actual structure fire within the facility.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) handles these calls with a specific kind of intensity. They have to. You aren’t just fighting a fire; you’re fighting a fire surrounded by pressurized tanks of highly flammable liquids. During that 2022 event, the department sent dozens of units. The smoke was visible for miles. People in Hawthorne were stepping out of their houses to look at the sky.
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But here is what most people get wrong: the fire itself often isn't the biggest danger to the public. It's the "upset." In refinery speak, an "upset" is any unplanned event that disrupts normal operations. When a fire happens, the refinery has to shut down specific units—like the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) or the hydrotreaters. When those units go down, the pressure has to go somewhere. That’s why you see those massive, terrifying flames coming out of the stacks. That’s the safety system working. It’s loud. It’s scary. It’s basically a giant pressure relief valve.
The Health Question: Should You Have Stayed Inside?
Naturally, the first thing everyone does is check their weather app or Twitter. "Is the air safe?" Honestly, the answer is usually "it depends on which way the wind is blowing." During the Chevron oil refinery fire El Segundo, South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) inspectors are usually on the scene faster than the news crews. They deploy mobile monitors to check for things you can’t see—sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrogen sulfide, and various volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
If you were in the direct path of the smoke during a major event, yeah, you probably felt it. Your throat gets scratchy. Your eyes sting. For people with asthma, it’s a nightmare. Chevron usually maintains that the smoke stays high enough in the atmosphere to avoid hitting ground-level populations directly, but anyone who has lived in El Segundo for a decade will tell you that’s a "sorta" truth. Microclimates are real. The marine layer can trap pollutants close to the ground in a process called an inversion.
Dealing with the Fallout
- Evacuation vs. Shelter-in-Place: In most cases, the fire department tells residents to "shelter in place." This basically means shut your windows, turn off the AC, and wait.
- Property Damage: After a big fire, residents often find "soot" on their cars. It’s not just dirt. It’s particulate matter. Chevron has historically had a claims process for this, though navigating it is about as fun as a root canal.
- The Smell: Even after the fire is out, the smell lingers. That’s often because of the chemicals used to extinguish the flames or the residual gases being purged from the lines.
Why Does This Keep Happening at El Segundo?
Aging infrastructure. It’s the boring answer, but it’s the real one. The El Segundo refinery was built in 1911. While it has been modernized dozens of times, you are still dealing with a massive, complex network of pipes, valves, and heaters that operate at extreme temperatures and pressures. Corrosion is a constant battle. In a coastal environment, the salt air eats away at metal 24/7. It’s a maintenance marathon that never ends.
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When you look at the reports from the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) or the EPA regarding refinery fires across the country, the themes are always the same. A pipe thinned out more than expected. A sensor failed. A human made a split-second mistake during a startup or shutdown. At El Segundo, the stakes are just higher because there is a city literally right across the street.
The Economic Gut Punch: Why Gas Prices Spike
You’ve probably noticed that every time there’s a hiccup at a California refinery, the price of gas at the Chevron on Sepulveda jumps 20 cents overnight. Why? Because California is an "energy island." We use a special blend of gasoline that isn't made in most other states. We also don't have many pipelines bringing refined fuel in from the rest of the country.
When the Chevron oil refinery fire El Segundo shuts down a major processing unit, the supply of "California Grade" gasoline drops instantly. Traders panic. They know the supply is tight. Even if the fire is small, the market reacts like it’s a catastrophe. If a unit stays down for weeks for repairs, you’re looking at a sustained price hike that affects the entire West Coast. It’s the dark side of our strict environmental regulations; we have cleaner air, but a very fragile supply chain.
What the Neighbors Say
I talked to a guy who has lived on East Grand Avenue for thirty years. He told me, "Look, we know the risks. We get the property tax benefits and the city gets the revenue, but when those sirens go off at 3:00 AM, your heart still skips." There’s a weird kind of "refinery fatigue" in El Segundo. People are used to the noise and the light, but the fires remind everyone that they are living next to a massive chemical plant.
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Chevron actually does a decent job of community outreach compared to some other industrial giants. They have a community advisory panel. They fund local schools. But no amount of "good neighbor" PR can erase the image of a 100-foot flame lighting up the night sky.
The Future of the Facility
Is the refinery going away? No. Not anytime soon. Even as California pushes toward electric vehicles, we still need jet fuel for LAX (which is right next door) and diesel for the trucks at the Port of Long Beach. Chevron is actually pivoting some of its operations toward renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.
But "renewable" doesn't mean "unflammable." The risks remain. The fire in 2022 and previous incidents in 2017 and earlier serve as reminders that the transition to "green" energy still involves heavy industrial processes that can, and do, fail.
Steps You Should Take If It Happens Again
If you see smoke coming from the refinery, don't wait for the official alert. These systems can be slow.
- Check the Wind: Look at the flags or trees. If the wind is blowing from the west/northwest (which it usually is), and you’re in El Segundo or Manhattan Beach, you’re in the path.
- Seal the House: Most modern homes have pretty good seals, but older El Segundo bungalows don't. Use damp towels at the base of doors if the smell is getting in.
- Monitor Official Channels: Don't rely on Nextdoor. It’s full of panic. Follow the @LACoFDPIO or @ChevronElSegundo accounts on X (formerly Twitter) for actual data.
- Air Purifiers: If you live within two miles of the facility, you should own a HEPA air purifier. Period. It won't stop everything, but it helps with the particulate matter that settles after a fire.
- Document Everything: If your car is covered in ash, take photos before you wash it. If you have a cough, go to the urgent care and get it on record. If there is a class-action or a claims fund later, you’ll need that paper trail.
Living in the South Bay is a trade-off. You get the beach, the sunsets, and the cool breeze, but you also live in the shadow of the smoke stacks. The Chevron oil refinery fire El Segundo isn't just a news headline; it’s a recurring character in the story of Los Angeles. Staying informed isn't about being scared—it's about knowing exactly what to do when the sky starts looking a little too dark for comfort.
Ensure your household has an emergency kit that includes N95 masks, which are actually effective at filtering out the fine particulates found in refinery smoke, unlike standard surgical masks. Keep a 72-hour supply of water and non-perishable food, as major industrial incidents can occasionally lead to localized road closures that make a quick trip to the grocery store impossible. Lastly, make sure you are signed up for "Alert LA County" to receive geographically targeted emergency notifications directly to your phone. Knowledge is your best defense against the next "upset" at the gates.