News - PHOTO: Massive Fire at Chevron Refinery in Los Angeles

A massive explosion caused a fire at a Chevron facility in El Segundo, Los Angeles County, California, on Thursday evening. CBS News reported: A large fire erupted at the El Segundo Chevron refinery in Los Angeles County following an explosion on Thursday night. Officers and firefighters responded to the refinery in El Segundo after receiving multiple reports of an explosion, according to the El Segundo Police Department. A witness said the explosion felt like a small earthquake. The fire had been contained by Thursday morning, according to Watch Duty, a fire-awareness app. Refineries are increasingly shutting down in California, and accidents that take refineries offline can have a major impact on local gas prices. Price hikes are exacerbated by California's requirement for a unique gasoline blend to reduce hydrocarbon emissions. Recently, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who has been a staunch ally of the oil industry in California, signed a law to expand oil production in the state, hoping to avoid the prospect of $8-per-gallon fuel prices. The flip-flop from his previous position earned condemnation from some environmental groups — which may actually help Newsom position himself as a moderate as he looks toward a likely 2028 presidential run. Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.