Just days after an explosion and fire erupted at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo, Manhattan Beach residents and officials took the chance Tuesday night to explain some of what happened, and what might change.

One of the biggest frustrations that Manhattan Beach residents reported from the October 2 event at the refinery was the incongruity between the “terrifying” event and the vague messaging received. For more than 20 minutes after the flames first appeared, residents said they had no official word on what was happening, or whether they were in danger - at which point many had already fled their homes.

That communication gap dominated the public comment period at the Manhattan Beach City Council meeting on October 7, where residents, city leaders, and Chevron officials all acknowledged the problem and pledged to fix it.

Council member Nina Tarnay said, “The fire was frightening, but it also showed us where we need to improve. Our residents deserve to know what’s happening in real time.”

Mayor David Lesser said the city would work to “improve our regional emergency messaging in future incidents.”

A notable commitment came from Chevron itself. 

Bryon Stock, the refinery’s director, told the council that the company would help fund a new community alert and warning system to ensure that residents receive timely, reliable information in future emergencies. 

“We’re committed to working in alignment with the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach to enhance, maintain, and fully fund a community alert and warning system designed to provide critical information in a timely manner,” Stock said.

A Night of Fear and Confusion

The fire broke out just after 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 2. Residents across Manhattan Beach saw the sky shift from black to orange in seconds. Some reported their homes shaking from the blast.

Council member Tarnay described her own experience: “I live above Sand Dune Park, and was driving down the street when the sky turned orange. Like a lot of my fellow residents, it was just absolutely terrifying.”

Resident John Missler recalled how his children reacted. “My kids dove for cover, thinking we were being attacked. We evacuated with many other families,” he told the council. 

The Manhattan Beach Fire Department was dispatched within two minutes of the first reports, but it took 26 minutes before an official alert reached the public. 

Council member Tarnay said, “Those 26 minutes were just terrifying 26 minutes... it felt like a lifetime to get the communications in.”

However, that gap, officials explained, was not negligence, but procedure.

Why the Delay?

Manhattan Beach Fire Chief Jesse Alexander told the council that before any alert can be issued, multiple agencies must arrive, establish a unified command, and confirm the facts. 

“We cannot send out information until we know what we’re dealing with,” Chief Alexander said. “That takes coordination, and it takes time.”

[See a full statement from Chief Alexander and Mayor Lesser here.]

The administrator of Alert South Bay, Soraya Sutherland, echoed that explanation. 

The regional alert system, she said, is designed to send only “actionable information” – instructions to evacuate, shelter indoors, or avoid an area. Sending vague or premature alerts, she warned, risks creating “white noise” that desensitizes the public and undermines trust in the system.

Still, both Alexander and Sutherland emphasized that if the fire had posed an immediate threat to Manhattan Beach, residents would not have been left waiting. Police officers would have gone door-to-door to ensure every household was notified. 

“Where there is an imminent threat to life, property, or the environment,” she said, “the first alert will happen by our first responders going door to door.”

Refinery Director Was Passing By At Time of Blast

Chevron’s Bryon Stock seemed to barely choke back tears when offering apologies during his remarks. 

“I want to express to you how deeply saddened we are that this fire occurred. We work tirelessly every day, every night,” Stock said, “to prevent incidents like this from happening, and we will continue to do so.”

Stock explained that, by coincidence, he happened to be driving along Rosecrans Avenue near the refinery on Thursday night at the time of the explosion. 

“It was a scary moment, even for somebody who has worked in the industry for more than 25 years,” Stock said.

As one of the first Chevron employees to arrive after the incident, Stock saw first responders already on scene, and watched as more firefighters and emergency responders from El Segundo and Manhattan Beach arrived to take on the fire. 

“Their collective response was unlike any that I had ever seen,” Stock said. “I would like to publicly recognize them for their quick action, their professionalism, and their bravery.”

Resident Concern: ‘Maybe We’re Not Safe’

Stock did not have news to share about what triggered the event Thursday night. 

“At this time, the cause of the fire is not known. Although the affected plant has been safely shut down, access to the immediate site is currently under the control of Cal/OSHA,” Stock said. “Cal/OSHA arrived on site the night of the fire, and they are conducting an independent investigation of the incident. We are fully cooperating with Cal/OSHA and multiple other agencies.”

The LA Times has reported that the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, an independent federal agency which would ordinarily take the lead on such an investigation, is right now non-responsive due to the federal government shutdown. The agency would be eliminated under a 2026 budget presented by the current presidential administration.

Resident John Missler spoke during public comments, underscoring that he’s concerned about safety, and offering that he’d been in touch with Chevron. “They've been nice enough to deal with me directly,” Missler said, “but I'm just one person.”  

Missler said he was seeking “support from the city councils of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach to produce a report about what happened, and why. We've been told over and over that everything's safe over there. This shows us that maybe we're not safe. If that had spread to one of the storage containers, I can only imagine the devastation.” 

Chief Wants Info ‘As Fast and Clear As Possible’

Chief Alexander said that the “severity and complexity of the incident … slowed the flow of confirmed, valuable information from the primary source.” 

“In a critical and evolving emergency, getting timely messaging out is a priority,” Chief Alexander said. “We continue to work with our regional partners to conduct a thorough review of what happened on Thursday evening. We’ll use this experience to strengthen our interagency communications protocols to ensure that in future incidents, the flow of information is as fast and clear as possible, regardless of who holds incident command.”

Having pledged to financially support improved communications, Chevron's Stock said, “Please also allow me to reiterate just how truly sorry we are that any fire occurred. For 114 years, we have operated in this community, and I commit to you that we will do everything we can to continue to be a good neighbor.”