Large clouds of smoke covered a Chevron oil refinery in southern California on Thursday after reports of an explosion, according to US media and social media footage.
Residents of El Segundo, a seaside town a few miles south of Los Angeles International Airport, published video clips online showing a large flame rising from the refinery with a loud, continuous rumbling.
El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel told local TV station K-CAL News shortly before 11 p.m. (0600 GMT) that authorities had received no reports of injuries.
According to Pimentel, the cause of the fire is still unknown.
According to LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, firefighter crews were able to restrict the incident to one portion of the refinery, and residents were not required to evacuate.
“It has been contained, and there is no cause for alarm for El Segundo or the surrounding areas,” Mitchell said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom “has been briefed on the incident at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery in Los Angeles County,” his press office said on X.
“Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,” it added.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the flames cooled down significantly within an hour of the explosion being recorded at about 0430 GMT, but flames and smoke could be seen for miles over the South Bay.
The El Segundo refinery is the largest on the US West Coast, processing more than 276,000 barrels of petroleum per day, according to Chevron’s website.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")