Residents flood Bay area hospitals after fire
Smoke and flame billow from a crude oil unit at the Chevron refinery in Richmond
Fire crews pour water on a fire at the Chevron Richmond Refinery in Richmond, Calif., Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. Officials have told residents of two Northern California cities to shelter-in-place as a fire at the refinery releases plumes of black smoke. The fire, first reported at 6:40 p.m. Monday, is burning in a process unit at the refinery, officials said. It was sending smoke over the cities of Richmond and San Pablo. (AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle, Lance Iversen) NORTHERN CALIFORNIA MANDATORY CREDIT PHOTOG & CHRONICLE; MAGS OUT; NO SALES;
SAN FRANCISCO >> A fire at one of the nation’s largest refineries spewed thick black smoke over cities in the San Francisco Bay area, sending scores of residents to hospitals complaining of breathing problems early today.
Smoke and flames could be seen for miles.
The blaze at Chevron’s plant in Richmond, about 10 miles northeast of San Francisco, was contained late Monday although it was not immediately known when the flames would be extinguished, said company spokeswoman Heather Kulp.
A shelter-in-place order for the communities of Richmond, North Richmond and San Pablo was lifted around 11:15 p.m.
Contra Costa County hazardous materials program director Randy Sawyer tells the San Jose Mercury News (http://bit.ly/NZ0VgI ) early today that small amounts of material were still burning but smoke was not leaving the refinery property.
Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo, a town near the Chevron refinery in Richmond, said about 200 people had sought help and more patients were arriving. Kaiser’s Richmond Medical Center also said several dozen people came to the emergency room complaining of shortness of breath, but none was seriously ill.
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Residents said they heard loud blasts around 6:15 p.m., when the fire broke out, although Chevron officials could not confirm those reports.
Daniela Rodriguez told the Contra Costa Times that she heard a “big boom” about the time the fire started. The 23-year-old resident said about an hour passed before she received an automated call from Contra Costa County to remain indoors.
“I was feeling kind of nauseous and light-headed (from the smell),” she told the newspaper.
The refinery produces gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel and lubricants, as well as chemicals used to manufacture many other products.
The blaze started at 6:15 p.m. Monday in the refinery’s No. 4 Crude Unit and it was contained by 11 p.m., Chevron said in a statement on its website. Spokesman Nigel Hearne said the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined and he wouldn’t speculate on the cause.
One employee suffered a minor injury.
Randy Sawyer, the chief environmental and hazardous materials officer for the county’s health services agency, said any kind of smoke can be toxic, but added: “In this smoke, there can also be all kind of byproducts that can be toxic.”
