A sulfur tank at a large oil refinery in Carson ruptured and caught fire Friday afternoon, prompting officials to order people in the area to shelter in place, via LA Times.
The lid of the 1-ton tank at the sprawling Tesoro refinery “blew off” about 1 p.m., said Inspector Gustavo Medina of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The sulfur in the tank dissipated, but insulation material caught fire, sending a plume of smoke over the facility, Medina said.
No injuries were reported, but sheriff’s officials ordered anyone within a quarter of a mile of the refinery to shelter in place as a precaution. They also shut down Alameda Street between 223rd Street and Sepulveda Boulevard as emergency personnel responded to the scene.