An explosion at a refinery storage facility has left a truck driver injured. CBS Los Angeles reported that the blast occurred at approximately 5:45 a.m. while jet fuel was being loaded on a tanker truck. A flash fire and then an explosion happened at the Kinder Morgan Terminals that are located on East Sepulveda Boulevard.
Eyewitnesses say that smoke coming from the fuel terminal could be seen from several miles away.
All personnel at the facility were evacuated after the industrial accident. According to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, more than 100 firefighters were at the scene fighting the blaze. Firefighters had the fire under control by approximately 7:00 a.m.
The truck driver who was injured in the blast was taken to an area medical center for treatment for minor burns. His identity was not released, but he is expected to be OK. No other injuries were reported.
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Los Angeles County Fire Department Captain Tony Imbrenda said in a statement to the media that the situation could have been far worse because of the millions of gallons of highly flammable liquid located on the property. “Any time you have any kind of active fire, vapors explosion, anything like that, highly hazardous down here,” he said.
Though investigators are still uncertain as to what caused the blast, Captain Imbrenda said that it is possible that static electricity during the fueling process.
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