The Associated Press
RICHMOND, Calif. — Fire broke out at an oil refinery Monday morning, injuring one employee and briefly prompting an order for residents to stay indoors, authorities said.
The fire began at about 5:24 a.m. at Chevron’s Richmond Refinery, said Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials specialist Maria Duazo. The fire was under control by daybreak and the worker’s injury was minor, Chevron spokesman Dean O’Hair said.
About 1,200 employees were in the refinery at the time, but they were cleared to return to their jobs after the blaze was contained to the pump where it started, a plant spokeswoman said.
Residents of nearby neighborhoods were warned to stay inside with their doors and windows shut to avoid breathing toxic fumes, but officials said the warning was lifted after tests showed no unsafe levels of harmful chemicals from the fire.
Toll booth workers on the nearby San Rafael Bridge were evacuated, though the bridge remained open with highway patrol officers directing traffic, Duazo said.
The 2,900-acre refinery is the largest in the Bay Area and is more than 100 years old, according to Chevron’s Web site.
It had a previous fire in March, 1999, O’Hair said.