Tank explodes at California's largest oil refinery; no injuries reported

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A sulfur tank exploded Friday at the largest oil refinery in California, sending a chemical cloud into the air and causing a fire, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the blast at the Tesoro refinery in Wilmington near Long Beach.

"We are currently conducting air quality monitoring around the site," company spokesman Destin Singleton said. "At this time we have not detected any harmful levels of toxins."

Everyone near the scene was accounted for, Singleton said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent in a hazardous materials team.

No evacuations were ordered but the Sheriff's Department urged people within a quarter-mile of the scene to stay indoors.

The 930-acre refinery near the Port of Long Beach is the largest refinery on the West Coast, according to Tesoro. It produces gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other fuels.

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