The Los Angeles Times said the cause of the explosion was not clear, but CBS said firefighters were called to a Los Angeles County refinery after reporting the explosion.
“Our office coordinates with local and state agencies… ensuring public safety,” Newsom’s Press Office said in X.
CBS quoted police saying they were not aware of immediate injuries or evacuation, adding that Los Angeles County supervisor Holly Mitchell said the crew contained fire in one area of the refinery.
In a regulatory filing, the US energy company also reported an emergency burn at El Segundo.
The refinery’s rated capacity is 290,000 barrels a day, with its main products being gasoline, jets and diesel, Chevron said on its website. Its total storage capacity is 12.5 million barrels in approximately 150 major tanks.
The Los Angeles Fire Department was ready to help with requests for assistance, Mayor Karen Bass said.
“At this point, there are no known effects on LAX,” she added, referring to the city’s busy international airport.
Mark Rodgers told the LA Times he was playing football at an aviation park several miles from the Chevron factory when the obvious explosion occurred. “We thought we had been nuk or something,” Rogers, 34, told the paper. The judge reported that he had cancelled the game due to the high amount of smoke.
MNA