Community Update: Small Fire at the Richmond Refinery
Dear Community Member,
We wanted to let you know that at approximately 2:10 am this morning a small fire occurred while preparing a non-operational area of the Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC) for maintenance work. Our preliminary assessment is that a specialized hose failed and resulted in a leak which ignited. The hose contained partially refined hydrocarbon. At this time, we do not know the cause of the failure in the hose. The fire was extinguished at 2:59 am.
No community shelter in place was called and there is no threat to neighbors or the community. All employees and contractors are safe and there were no injuries.
We appreciate the support and response from the Chevron Fire Department and government agencies including Cal/OSHA, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the City of Richmond Fire and Police Departments.
The Richmond Refinery has launched an investigation into the incident; however, our preliminary findings are that the fire did not occur in a pipe or crude oil processing line. There is no connection to the August 2012 fire.
The Richmond Refinery implemented its Leak Response Protocol, which included shutting down the FCC and two adjacent areas within the plant. Other areas of the Richmond Refinery are unaffected by this incident and are continuing to produce transportation fuels and other products.
Thank you.
For more information, please call the 24-Hour Community Line at 510-242-2000 or email at rrweb@chevron.com.
Tags: Richmond