The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles fire officials say they’ve choked off a fire at an oil refinery south of downtown, but nearby schools are being urged to keep students indoors until the smoke clears.
The fire at the 300-acre Tesoro Corp. refinery in the Wilmington area was reported shortly after 5 a.m. and was confined to a coker unit.
More than 100 firefighters were on the scene along with the refinery’s own fire crews.
Deputy Fire Chief Mario Rueda says the fire was extinguished in about three hours. The cause is under investigation.
The fire sent a huge plume of black smoke hundreds of feet into the air.
There were no injuries or evacuations, but a refinery spokeswoman says people within a mile of the refinery have been asked to stay indoors as a precaution.
The 300-acre facility refines 97,000 barrels of oil a day into gasoline, jet fuel and other products.