Crime & Safety

Unplanned Chevron Flare-Up Results in Call to Fire Department

The Chevron El Segundo Refinery had an unplanned flare-up Friday morning.

A problem with a process unit resulted in an unplanned flare-up event at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery Friday morning, said Chevron spokesman Rod Spackman.

The flare-up began around 8:05 a.m., said Spackman. The Manhattan Beach Fire Department received a report of "a large amount of black smoke in the areas west of the Office Depot at 1800 Rosecrans Avenue, said Manhattan Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Chiella.

"We responded to the area with a full commercial fire response," he wrote Patch in an email. "In route to the area, it was obvious that Chevron was having an unplanned burn off from one of their burn-off towers along Rosecrans."

The fire department conducted an investigation in the area around Office Depot "but found no evidence of smoke or fire in that area," wrote Chiella.

The fire department contacted Chevron and confirmed there was a burnoff, Chiella wrote.

Spackman told Patch the burn-off was "very visible" at the beginning " for five or 10 minutes." 

Spackman said the refinery had some "unplanned problems with one of our process units." He said the flare mechanism is in place to prevent a problem.

The plant now needs to do some work on its equipment; Spackman said "robust" practices are in place to bring the equipment back online as quickly as possible while preventing future unplanned and planned flare-ups.

"You never say never," he said when asked if the community could expect to see more unplanned or planned flare-ups related to Friday's unplanned flare-up.


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