Bland Messages About Chevron Fire Offer Little Reassurance
Oct 03, 2025 07:57AM ● By Mb News Staff
A Manhattan Beach resident watches massive flames on the horizon. (Photo credit: Mike Spitters)
UPDATE: A Friday afternoon statement from the City of Manhattan Beach said, in part:
"City will request a full briefing from Chevron regarding the cause of the fire, the effectiveness of their emergency response protocols, and what steps will be taken to prevent future incidents. This includes an evaluation of necessary improvements to outgoing communication to residents."
The city's full statement is at the bottom of this story.
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After a massive fire at the El Segundo Chevron refinery shook homes and roared through the night, Manhattan Beach residents received vague reassurances that there was "no public threat" and received conflicting messages about where to turn.
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After a massive fire at the El Segundo Chevron refinery shook homes and roared through the night, Manhattan Beach residents received vague reassurances that there was "no public threat" and received conflicting messages about where to turn.
The messages came as flames lit up the horizon for a fire that one news report described as "almost apocalyptic" and as many residents fled their homes by foot.
The fire broke out at approximately 9:30 p.m., shaking homes and alarming residents. Crowds began gathering outside as fire and emergency vehicles rushed by and streets were closed around the refinery.
A public safety alert at 10:06 p.m. told residents to "close doors and windows." A second alert at 10:11 p.m. announced that there was "NO PUBLIC threat (sic) at this time and NO evacuation orders in place at this time."
At 11:30 p.m. the city of Manhattan Beach issued an alert to residents advising them "stay inside for approximately three hours and close windows" - at which points some residents had already left their homes.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for certain parts of town, requiring residents to click through to the Genasys system and enter an address to see if they were affected. (The shelter-in-place order has since been lifted.)
A shelter-in-place order was issued for certain parts of town, requiring residents to click through to the Genasys system and enter an address to see if they were affected. (The shelter-in-place order has since been lifted.)
(Photo credit: Jen Donahoe)
The Alert South Bay/Everbridge system told residents at 1:12 a.m. to "Check with your local PD for updates."
When Manhattan Beach News reached out to the Manhattan Beach Police Department on Friday morning, a spokesperson said to contact the fire department or the refinery.
When Manhattan Beach News reached out to the Manhattan Beach Police Department on Friday morning, a spokesperson said to contact the fire department or the refinery.
A statement from Chevron after midnight read:
"Chevron fire department personnel, including emergency responders from the City of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach are actively responding to an isolated fire inside the Chevron El Segundo Refinery. All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries."
"Chevron fire department personnel, including emergency responders from the City of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach are actively responding to an isolated fire inside the Chevron El Segundo Refinery. All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries."
"No
evacuation orders for area residents have been put in place by
emergency response agencies monitoring the incident, and no exceedances
have been detected by the facilities fence line monitoring system."
Note: MB News observed a hook-and-ladder truck from Redondo Beach arriving to help, although that assistance was not noted in Chevron's initial statement.
Note: MB News observed a hook-and-ladder truck from Redondo Beach arriving to help, although that assistance was not noted in Chevron's initial statement.
As of Friday morning, the Genasys system showed "No known active alerts for your location" – even for the homes along Rosecrans Ave. closest to the refinery – although the fire had continued burning.
MB Alerts issued a new statement Friday morning:
"All roads have been reopened after last night's Chevron Fire. The fire is still burning but is contained at this time. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has been monitoring the area throughout the night and has not detected any exceedances. Any air quality complaints can be reported by calling 1(800) CUT-SMOG or 1(800)288-7664. You can check your air quality here: Current Air Quality Data."
Shortly after 8:00 Friday morning, air quality was all "green" for El Segundo and Manhattan Beach.
A Friday afternoon statement from the city read, in full:
CITY OF MANHATTAN BEACH RESPONDS TO CHEVRON REFINERY FIRE IN NEIGHBORING
EL SEGUNDO
Fire Contained, No Injuries Reported; Shelter in Place Order Lifted at 1: 12 AM
Manhattan Beach, CA (October 3, 2025) – Last night, October 2, 2025, at approximately 9:30 p.m., a fire broke out at the Chevron Refinery facility in El Segundo, just north of our City limits. At 9:32 p.m., Manhattan Beach Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at the Chevron refinery. Fire suppression activities were directed under unified command with Chevron and El Segundo Fire Departments. Mutual aid was provided by the Manhattan Beach and the Los Angeles County Fire Departments. The incident was named the “Chevron Fire” with the incident command post based on the Chevron property.
A Shelter in Place order was issued just before 11:00 p.m. for limited sections of the Manhattan Beach Tree Section due to smoke from the fire. No evacuations were ordered in Manhattan Beach. The Shelter in Place order was lifted at 1:12 a.m. this morning, October 3, 2025, and all roads have been reopened.
“While the incident occurred outside of Manhattan Beach, we are fully aware that many in our community witnessed the flames, smelled the smoke, and experienced real concern for their safety and well-being—particularly those residents who reside close to the refinery,” stated Mayor David Lesser. “First and foremost, I want to assure our residents the fire is out according to the most recent updates from Chevron’s emergency response team and there have been no reported injuries. I am grateful to the first responders who acted quickly and professionally to contain the fire and protect surrounding communities.”
Chevron has announced that they have launched an internal investigation to determine the cause of the fire. City will request a full briefing from Chevron regarding the cause of the fire, the effectiveness of their emergency response protocols, and what steps will be taken to prevent future incidents. This includes an evaluation of necessary improvements to outgoing communication to residents. While the City does not have jurisdiction over the Chevron facility, we take the concerns of our residents seriously, and we are committed to advocating for transparency, safety, and environmental responsibility on behalf of our community.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) is actively monitoring the incident, and no air quality exceedances have been detected. We continue to monitor the situation closely. If anyone has air quality concerns, they should report them by calling SCAQ
MD at 1-800-CUT- SMOG or 1-800-288-7664 or visit https://www.aqmd.gov/home/air-quality/current-air-quality-data.
Additionally, if you observe any debris related to the fire, please contact the Chevron Refinery hotline to report it. Chevron can be reached at (310) 615-5342.
Our top priority remains the health and safety of our residents. We appreciate your patience,
your vigilance, and your trust.
We encourage residents to stay informed through official City communication channels and sign
up for emergency AlertSB messages:
1) Go to Alertsouthbay.com and make a profile.
2) Text ALERTSB to 888777 to receive the link to register.
3) Download the Everbridge App from the App Store
