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7 AM: Fire is "under control" in Richmond at Chevron Refinery (PHOTOS)

Published on Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Last updated on 07:46AM, Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Chevron refinery photo by askdzign, http://instagram.com/p/OAlmU0iV0X

Chevron refinery photo by askdzign, http://instagram.com/p/OAlmU0iV0X

August 7, 7 am: A fire that broke out at around 6:15 p.m. PDT on Aug 6 at Chevron Corp.'s ( CVX) crude distillation unit No. 4 is under a "controlled burn" and the unit is shut. The company declined to comment on the status of operations at other parts of the plant.A community forum will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium to discuss the fire.

10:00 PM--Fires are still burning at the Chevron plant in Richmond. Nigel Hearne, refinery manager told reporters that crews were trying to extinguish the blaze by using nitrogen steam to displace fuel in a processing unit. The column of black smoke, laden with hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, rose about 4,000 feet into the air  during the evening, said Trisha Asuncion, a hazardous materials specialist with the Contra Costa County Health Department.

8:07: Toxic Chevron fire plume headed for North Oakland hills--civic alert. According to NBC news, "Chevron hasits own fire department with 60 firefighters, who are on site beating back flames. Surrounding local departments and hazardoues materials teams are also on site, helping out."

7:30 PM--Civil emergency message for Contra Costa Co, CA:
Residents in Richmond. North Richmond and San Pablo are advised to shelter in place. Go inside. Close All windows and doors. Turn off all heaters. Air conditioners and fans. If not using the fireplace. Close fireplace dampers and vents. And cover cracks around doors and windows with tape or damped towels. Media news networks will continue to carry updated emergency information. Stay Off the telephone unless you have a life threatening emergency.

An official with the Contra Costa County Health Services says the fire, first reported at 6:40 p.m. Monday, is burning in a process unit at the Chevron refinery.

More as this develops. ABC 7 News has live footage of the blaze in progress. BART is shut down at the Richmond station and BART service has stopped between Richmond and El Cerrito del Norte. See Google alert map here:

Richmond's Chevron refinery has major explosion; visible across East Bay

A fire at the Chevron refinery in the city of Richmond has prompted shelter-in-place for Richmond, N. Richmond, and San Pablo; we're tracking the story here.

Storified by susanmernit · Mon, Aug 06 2012 19:44:52

PHOTO: #Chevron refinery #fire black plume #Richmond #California http://ow.ly/i/Pu7eNancy Mancias
#toxic #deathcloud has to be at least 15 miles long from #chevron #refinery #fire started to feel sick been outside since it startedChris Caton
Chevron refinery fire in Richmond. Alcatraz & Telegraph. #chevron #refinery #fire http://instagr.am/p/OApxnarK8m/Carlos Cisneros
RT @BreakingNews: No injuries reported in Chevron fire; 2 columns of thick black smoke rising 3,000 ft into air - @KCBSNews #breakingNewsMario Flowers
Smoke is now gone http://twitpic.com/agdplt Phew #chevron #fireChris Calubaquib
#explosion #chevronrefinery #smoke #fire @ Richmond, CA http://instagr.am/p/OAo90ax8N_/Mayra Jara
It's coming this way #chevronrefineries #fire #closeyourwindows http://instagr.am/p/OApAPCJZY3/Reyes
Chevron Refinery Fire #shelterinplace #sirensgoingoff #scary #omg #fire #smoke http://instagr.am/p/OAociiDoN-/Lovely Lex
Huge fire at the Richmond refinery. #fire #redsun http://instagr.am/p/OAob2CKcBV/Liz Dunn
Following #chevron #fire from afar. Be safe everyone in Bay Area.Charlene Li
RT @grahamhancock: Just took a photo of the smoke cloud hanging over Downtown SF right now. HUGE refinery fire in Richmond. Crazy. http://t.co/O8ZWnY2DJoe Xino
Big bang theory is right. #richmond #fire #chevron #refinery #tvimitateslife http://instagr.am/p/OAnVJ8xCCv/Elijah Zarlin
major refinery #fire in Richmond. shelter in place east bay friends! @ Duncan Street Steps http://instagr.am/p/OAnJ1VB_qr/Chris
@dcstpaul I'm 10 miles away and can clearly see 2 columns of flames. Each I'd guess at least 100 feet in the air. #Chevron #fireEric Jaffe
major refinery #fire in Richmond. shelter in place east bay friends!chrisr
RT @KTVU: BREAKING: Photo of Chevron refinery fire right now in Richmond. http://bit.ly/Q7BuojRobert Xavier Trencheny Junior
Smoke now moving towards the east http://twitpic.com/agdjej #chevron #fireChris Calubaquib
This is what the sky looks like here in the east bay thanks to the chevron refinery in Richmond. #fire http://pic.twitter.com/kx41Dqx8Steve Raikow
Can see the Richmond refinery fire smoke from the street outside our complex in Alameda! #fireLaura
#omg #richmond #chevron on #fire !!!! Hella nasty fire cloud all over Richmond San Pablo el cerrito Albany etc!! Hope everyone #safeChris Caton
Richmond Refinery Fire 2012Dr Biggles
Looking at the #chevron #refinery on #fire in Richmond from our flat in #SF. Huge cloud in the sunset http://yfrog.us/e313794548zuuumpqomxvexbgofytzJoel Bez
Awful smell... http://twitpic.com/agdif2 #chevron #fireChris Calubaquib
#Chevron refinery #fire (s) - looks like two - real time from #newbaybri @ San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge http://instagr.am/p/OAmnW1qyP0/Peter Perez
#richmond #fire #explosion as seen from the Berkeley Hills http://instagr.am/p/OAl7DwqmPi/Natalie
Againts the beautiful blue sky, a thick black smoke http://twitpic.com/agdgci #Chevron #fireChris Calubaquib
Close Your Windows - #nbc #iphoto #news #fire #richmond #instagram http://instagr.am/p/OAls_Xx50j/Jorge Moreno Jr
Damn the i can see intensity of black smoke from my deck in mission #chevron #fire will upload photos ASAPdebs
An oil refinery has supposedly exploded in Richmond. #SF #Fire http://pic.twitter.com/D4Q6eBXnHisham Dahud
#Wild #Fire #All #Bad http://instagr.am/p/OAkZ1ATQTR/Stephanie
#sanfrancisco #fire #gnarly http://instagr.am/p/OAkHrdIM3T/rye

About Susan Mernit
Susan Mernit is the co-founder of Oakland Local. She is also a circuit rider for The Community Information Challenge, a program of The John S and James L Knight Foundation, a popular speaker and facilitator, and a consultant to media, non-profit and community organizations. Susan lives in North Oakland with a rescue dog named Cazzie, a little dog named Violet, a fat grey cat named Gracie, a very cool housemate, and a yard in serious need of soil remediation. She is an aspiring gardener, a long-time blogger & entrepreneur, and a recovering journalist who's found home in Oakland.