2 Workers Hurt in Another Incident at Torrance Refinery

A brief fire at Mobil Oil Corp.’s Torrance refinery--the third accident in three weeks--injured two workers Friday and sent dense clouds of black smoke over the South Bay, company and fire officials said.

The 3:21 p.m. fire came as Torrance officials opened a wide-ranging safety investigation at the sprawling facility, where there have been three other fires and two deaths since last November.

Friday’s fire occurred when a contract employee’s attempt to tap into a line containing heated crude oil caused a leak that spewed hot oil and hydrocarbon vapors, Torrance Fire Marshal Denny Haas said.

“It blew out hot oil and there was a flash fire,” Haas said.

Seven fire trucks and about 40 firefighters from the Torrance Fire Department went to the refinery and had the blaze under control in half an hour. The employee working on the pipe, identified only as a 30-year-old man, suffered burns over 40% of his body, mostly on the back and face. He was reported in critical condition at Torrance Memorial Hospital Medical Center.

The other injured employee, Rudy E. Chavez, 40, of San Pedro, was listed in stable condition at Little Company of Mary Hospital, where he was treated for bruises, cuts and smoke inhalation.

Dan Mumford, the refinery’s employee relations manager, said the smoke was not toxic. “We stress our concern for the safety of employees and the plant,” he said.

In separate incidents July 15, a flash fire and an explosion at the refinery claimed the life of one worker and injured 10 others. A worker died in a fall in March. Last November, an explosion sparked a fire that burned for two days.

Mobil recently was cited for five serious safety violations by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the Nov. 24 explosion. The company did not contest four of the citations, and paid $4,000 in fines.