A massive explosion has triggered a huge fire ball at an oil refinery in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
The blaze was seen for miles across the city after police said it ignited at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo.
Terrifying images and videos posted by social media users show the night sky being engulfed by bright orange flames with smoke billowing toward the sky as witnesses recounted hearing a ‘sudden steady roar’.
The Torrance Police Department told the Daily Mail units are currently on the scene.
Authorities are not aware of any injuries or evacuations spurred by the blaze, which continues to burn.
Other images taken as the fire has gone on longer show huge plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
The El Segundo neighborhood is immediately south of LAX, and it remains to be seen whether this will impact air travel.
The Daily Mail has approached the international airport and the police department for further comment on this ongoing situation.
A huge fire has broken out at the Chevron refinery in the El Segundo neighborhood in Los Angeles, according to police
Early eyewitness reports suggest that the blast occurred at around 9:30 local time. It’s unclear what caused the explosion
Pictured: An aerial view of the Chevron refinery in El Segundo. It is located just south of LAX
Live feeds from local news outlets show that units from the LA County Fire Department have gathered around the refinery, where flames are still visible.
It remains unclear how the fire started.
Julian Reese, 13, said he and his father felt a blast at around 9:30pm local time before running outside to see the fire, the Los Angeles Times reported.
When the explosion happened, Mark Rogers was playing soccer as part of his adult league at Aviation Park, just a few miles away from the refinery.
‘I thought we got nuked or something,’ Rogers said.
Residents are being urged to stay away from the area. Traffic is now being diverted away from the fire.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the incident, according to a statement on social media.
‘Our office is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety,’ the statement continued.
