Flames Seen at ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance Were Part of Safety Procedure

Flames were seen shooting out of portions of the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance this morning but it was a safety procedure, not a disaster, a Torrance Fire Department captain said.

The refinery on Del Amo Boulevard between Crenshaw Boulevard and Maple Avenue lost power at around 12 a.m., said Torrance Fire Department Capt. Steve Deuel.

Power was restored to normal levels within 30 minutes, Deuel said. That meant several production units had to be restarted.

“This re-start procedure often causes large visible flaring to occur as incomplete hydrocarbon byproducts must be cleared from the system,” he said. “The flaring is actually one of the many safety systems in place to protect the plant, its employees and the surrounding community.”

Del Amo Boulevard was closed between Crenshaw Boulevard and Maple Avenue as a precaution, Deuel said.

“Air quality monitoring revealed no unsafe vapors were leaving the refinery at ground level,” he said. There were no injuries or evacuations.

--City News Service

PHOTO Patch file photo.