ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion in Torrance, California (VIDEO) 18 Feb 2015

• published: 18 Feb 2015
• views: 301

Burn off after the refinery explosion in Torrance. #ExxonMobil Huge Explosion Shakes Homes Near Torrance Refinery. Residents near the oil refinery reported the sound of an explosion, shaking and a sizeable flareup. Minor injuries were reported after an explosion ripped apart structures at an oil refinery in southern Los Angeles County Wednesday morning and shook homes for miles around the blast site. Aerial video showed smoke coming from a damaged portion of the Torrance ExxonMobil Refinery, located south of the 405 Freeway. The blast twisted metal and sent ash raining down on vehicles parked at and near the site. "I thought it was an earthquake, like someone hit the back of my car," said resident Drew Magtoto. "There's still smoke coming out, but it wasn't as bad as earlier." Several Twitter users reported shaking and the sound of an explosion coming from the ExxonMobil refinery. One user posted a picture of an ash-covered vehicle. Another resident told NBC4 he could feel shaking from about seven miles away and noticed a large flare-up from the plant's burnoff stack. The stack flaring is a safety measure used to dissipate pressure and avoid explosions. "All of our windows started rattling," a Redondo Beach resident told NBC4. "It rattled all the windows in our house. It was kind of crazy." Authorities received reports of minor injuries. In a statement, a public affairs official with the ExxonMobil Torrance Refinery said the plant "experienced an incident" at 8:50 a.m. "Emergency procedures have been activated to address the incident, and employees are working with the appropriate agencies," according to the statement. "Our main concern is for the safety of our employees and our neighbors. We are accounting for all personnel and still evaluating the cause of the incident, or the occurrence or amount on any damages." Torrance school officials confirmed that staff and students are sheltering in place. The Southern California Air Quality Management District sent personnel to the location to assess air quality. "From my understanding, it was a significant incident," said Mayor Patrick Furey. "Shelter in place. Keep the windows closed." NBC4 is attempting to confirm details regarding the reported explosion. It was not immediately clear whether the reported explosion was related to a drill at the 750-acre site, where about 155,000 barrels of crude oil are processed each day. Residents Report Explosion at California ExxonMobile Refinery Electrical plant-room explosion caught on tape.flv by Hugh Tour of Exxon Mobil Refinery Video Torrance F.D. / Exxon-Mobil Oil Refinery Burn Off ExxonMobil Incident 2015 - Exxon Mobil Refinery Explosion 2015 Videos ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion in Torrance, California (VIDEO) 18 Feb 2015 ExxonMobil Refinery Explosion in Torrance, California (VIDEO) 18 Feb 2015