Fire breaks out at northern California oil refinery, 1 injury, residents asked to stay inside

Monday, January 15th 2007, 9:44 am

By: News On 6

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) _ A fire broke out at an oil refinery Monday morning, injuring one employee, sending flames as high as 50 feet into the air and prompting an order for residents to stay indoors, authorities said.

The fire began at about 5:24 a.m. at Chevron's Richmond Refinery, said Contra Costa County Hazardous Materials specialist Maria Duazo. ``We are asking residents to stay inside, close their doors and windows and shut off ventilation,'' Duazo said.

The fire was under control by daybreak and the worker's injury was minor, Chevron spokesman Dean O'Hair said.

About 1,200 employees were in the refinery at the time, O'Hair said.

Toll booth workers on the nearby San Rafael Bridge were evacuated, though the bridge remained open to traffic with high patrol officers directing traffic, Duazo said.

The 2,900-acre refinery is the largest in the Bay Area and is more than 100 years old, according to Chevron's Web site.

It had a previous fire in March, 1999, O'Hair said.