A large fire is burning at the Marathon Petroleum refinery in Carson, sending flames at least 100 feet into the air, according to preliminary news reports.
The fire prompted a brief closure of all lanes of the 405 Freeway at Wilmington Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. All lanes reopened by about 11:45 p.m. after closing for about 30 minutes.
Carson resident Joe Billings told KABC-TV Channel 7 that he was putting his daughter to bed when they heard an explosion and their house shook.
The refinery’s “alarms went off, so that’s an indication something was really bad,” Billings told the news station, noting the alarm went off about 10:45 p.m.
Billings said his home is about two miles away.
“Felt like the house got a little jolt on this side of town,” he said.
The Marathon refinery is the largest refinery on the West Coast with a crude oil capacity of 363,000 barrels per calendar day, according to the company’s website.
This is a breaking news story, based on preliminary information, and will be updated.
