Streets near the Tesoro Corp. refinery in Carson were closed Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, due to a sulfur-tank explosion at the site. The sheriff's department recommended that people within a quarter-mile stay indoors but no evacuations were ordered. Courtesy of NBC4 Tesoro refinery tank in Wilmington explodes; none injured
by KPCC staff & wires August 26 2016
A sulfur tank exploded Friday at the Tesoro refinery in Wilmington, sending a chemical cloud into the air and causing a fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the blast, which occurred at about 1 p.m.
"We are currently conducting air quality monitoring around the site," company spokesman Destin Singleton said. "At this time we have not detected any harmful levels of toxins."
General location of the Tesoro refinery located in both Wilmington and Carson. Google Maps Everyone at the scene near the 23200 block of South Alameda Street was accounted for, Singleton said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent in a hazardous materials team.
No evacuations were ordered but the Sheriff's Department urged people within a quarter-mile of the scene to stay indoors, and Alameda Street was closed between 223rd Street and Sepulveda Boulevard.
The Tesoro refinery, far left, is seen in Carson, Friday, Aug. 26, 2016. A sulfur tank exploded Friday at the largest oil refinery in California, sending a chemical cloud into the air and causing a fire, authorities said. Damian Dovarganes/AP The 930-acre refinery near the Port of Long Beach is located in both Wilmington and Carson. It is the largest refinery on the West Coast and produces gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other fuels, according to Tesoro.
An Associated Press report was used in this story.
====================
Rupture in Sulfur Tank Prompts Shelter-in-Place Order Around Tesoro Refinery
Posted 2:47 PM, August 26, 2016, by Melissa Pamer and Christina Pascucci, Updated at 10:11pm, August 26, 2016
A shelter-in-place order was lifted in the area around the Tesoro refinery in the Carson and Wilmington area Friday evening hours after a sulfur tank ruptured and created a plume that towered above the facility.
A "rupture" occurred at the Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery on Aug. 26, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
Los Angeles County firefighters were called to the refinery — near Alameda and East 223rd streets — about 1:20 p.m.
A "rupture" occurred about 1 p.m. at a sulfur tank in the Wilmington portion of the refinery, a Tesoro Corp. spokesman said in a statement. A small fire at the tank site was quickly extinguished.
Debris was scattered on the ground around the tank, which appeared heavily damaged, aerial video from Sky5 showed.
"An emergency response team at the refinery is responding to the situation," the statement read. "At this time we have not detected any harmful levels of toxins."
Responders were working to stop a "steam plume" rising from the tank, the company said. Air quality was being monitored.
A plume rises above the Tesoro refinery after a breach in a sulfur tank there on Aug. 26, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
All personnel near the explosion have been accounted for and no injuries were reported, according to the statement.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a shelter-in-place order for a quarter-mile radius around the refinery. Only four businesses in the largely industrial area were affected by the order, the company said.
No evacuations were requested, Tesoro said.
A "rupture" occurred at the Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery on Aug. 26, 2016. (Credit: KTLA)
Alameda Street was temporarily closed from 223rd Street to East Sepulveda Boulevard, and people were urged to avoid the area. The road was reopened around 7 p.m.
The facility's own fire department is the primary responding agency, county fire Inspector Richard Licon said.
The Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery has addresses at 2350 E. 223rd St. in Carson and 2101 East Pacific Coast Highway in Wilmington. The facility spans Carson and the northern reaches of the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The cause of the incident was under investigation, Tesoro said.
KTLA's Jennifer Thang and Matt Phillips contributed to this article.