Home Care In El Segundo, CA

Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury arm, has opened a new state-of-the-art Design Studio in California. An 80,000-square-foot (7432 sq.m) creative hub in El Segundo, Los Angeles, this new space will also play a major role in how the future models from the South Korean automaker will look. If you’ve been watching Genesis evolve over the past decade from an offshoot luxury badge to a full-fledged global tour de force, this marks a pivotal moment for the brand.

In ten years, the brand has gone from concept sketches to cars like the flagship G90 sedan and the full-size GV80 SUV, several stunning concepts, and an incoming endurance racecar in the hyperclass, widely applauded for design that fuses Korean minimalism with a global appeal. Now, this studio brings that mission stateside.

Inside, the facility houses 45 designers, modelers, and digital artists working across production cars, future mobility concepts, and even projects in air mobility and robotics. Together with its studios in Seoul and Frankfurt, the new location completes a 24-hour global workflow where creativity never stops.

The building itself reflects Genesis’ philosophy. Calming and wide open spaces lined with soft acoustic felt, outdoor areas inspired by Korean gardens, and a modern tea platform nodding to the brand’s heritage. There’s a clay modeling and 3D printing lab, a CMF studio for color and materials, and open collaboration zones that make creativity a constant process.

“At Genesis, design is brand and brand is design. Genesis Design California is the embodiment of this. It embraces our distinctly Korean identity, creating a space that inspires creativity. I cannot wait to see that inspiration come to life in the team’s work.” – Luc Donckerwolke (formerly at Lamborghini), Chief Creative Officer of Genesis.

With the El Segundo studio now active, Genesis is positioned to shape its next generation of cars with sharper focus, stronger identity, and the best design talent California has to offer. For Genesis, this investment is about its long-term future and commitment to North America. However, California was a deliberate choice because the region is one of the few global epicenters for automotive creativity.

Major automakers like GM, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Acura, Mazda, Toyota, and several others have long-established presence, with their own design centers, all to stay close to innovation and cultural trends that begin in Southern California before influencing the rest of the world.

Also, just up the road from El Segundo is Pasadena, where you have the Art Center College of Design, a world-renowned institution that has produced some of the most influential automotive designers for decades. For Genesis, it also means access to top talent, collaboration opportunities, and a steady flow of fresh ideas from the next generation of designers.

Images: Genesis

On the evening of October 2, a massive fire broke out at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery just southwest of Los Angeles. The blaze was visible across the South Bay and drew a large emergency response, but it was ultimately contained without injuries. While the fire was limited to a single process unit, the facility’s importance to California’s fuel supply means the incident could ripple through regional gasoline markets almost immediately, exacerbating an already challenging situation.

Built in 1911, the El Segundo refinery is Chevron’s largest on the West Coast, with a processing capacity of about 290,000 barrels of crude oil per day. (Contrary to multiple news reports, the facility does not produce oil–it processes oil). The facility plays an outsized role in California’s fuel economy, supplying roughly 20% of Southern California’s gasoline and more than 40% of its jet fuel. Any disruption there carries implications far beyond Los Angeles County. Even a short-term outage can tip the balance in a state where fuel supplies are tightly constrained.

California’s gasoline market is unique in several respects that magnify the impact of such accidents. The state is effectively an island when it comes to refined products, with only limited pipeline connections to the broader U.S. refining system. On top of that, California requires its own specialized blend of gasoline to meet stringent environmental standards. CARB-compliant fuel cannot be easily substituted with supply from other states, and imports from Asia or the Gulf Coast typically require weeks to arrive. This leaves the state unusually exposed when local refineries experience disruptions.

The timing of this fire could hardly be worse for consumers. Inventories of gasoline in California were already running about 10% below their five-year average in late September, according to federal data. Seasonal maintenance at refineries is also underway, which typically reduces output heading into the fall. Add in steady demand from motorists and elevated jet fuel consumption at Los Angeles International Airport, and the system has very little cushion. Even if Chevron brings the damaged unit back online quickly, the short-term effect is likely to be tighter supply and higher prices.

Market watchers expect the most immediate impact in wholesale prices. Spot gasoline prices in Los Angeles and San Francisco are likely to spike, with retail prices potentially climbing 10 to 25 cents per gallon in the short term. If the outage drags on, refiners may need to import additional supply from Asia or the Gulf Coast, but those barrels would not land for several weeks. In the meantime, competing refiners such as Valero and PBF Energy could see margins widen as price spreads favor available local supply.

For California policymakers, refinery incidents like this highlight the state’s ongoing vulnerability to fuel price volatility. Emergency reserves are limited and calls to temporarily relax fuel specifications may resurface if the disruption persists. But such measures only offer modest relief, and they underscore a larger challenge: California’s dependence on a handful of refineries to keep its 30 million drivers on the road.

While the El Segundo fire fortunately caused no injuries, its market consequences are harder to contain. California consumers already pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation, and this accident could push costs even higher as the state heads into the holiday travel season. The incident serves as a reminder that in an isolated market with strict fuel standards and little spare capacity, even one facility’s troubles can ripple across the state’s economy in a matter of days.

By Robert Rapier

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Witnesses reported hearing a blast, then seeing a wall of flames that could be seen from several miles away.

EL SEGUNDO, CA — A nine-plus hour fire at the Chevron El Segundo Refinery has left motorists anticipating higher prices with the facility closed for cleanup and repairs while nearby were largely moving on after being rattled in the hours after an explosion sparked the flames, observers said Saturday.

No injuries were reported.

The refinery processes about 300,000 barrels of crude oil a day, including one fifth of all motor vehicle fuel and 40% of jet fuel in Southern California, Matt McClain, a petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, an app that tracks gas prices nationwide., told reporters.

"This is going to probably have a pretty significant impact at the pump." McClain said. "It's all going to depend upon a lot of motorists. If everybody kind of goes toward the pumps all at once, well then you've got a little bit of an increase in price coming sooner rather than later. But if nobody panics, you're still only talking a matter of several days before you will start to see the price increase across portions of California, and really beyond."

He estimated prices could increase 35 to 95 cents per gallon.

"This particular refinery, anytime it shuts down, it impacts prices all along the western coast of the United States, and even into places like Vancouver, British Columbia, other aspects in Canada," McClain told ABC7.

Meanwhile, El Segundo area residents had mostly returned to their daily routines after the massive explosion and fire rocked the neighborhood Thursday and lit up the nighttime sky, but many remained concerned about toxins and air quality, according to media reports.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said pollution levels were elevated near the refinery overnight, but had settled by Friday morning.

The fire was reported just after 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Witnesses reported hearing a blast, then seeing a wall of flames that could be seen from several miles away.

The last of the visible flames were extinguished about 7:15 a.m. Friday, according to Fox 11 helicopter coverage.

No evacuation orders were issued. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the nearby Manhattan Beach's Tree Section Neighborhood due to the fire and was lifted after 2 a.m. Friday.

"The fire broke out in the refinery's Isomax 7 unit, which converts mid-distillate fuel oil into jet fuel, two sources told the Reuters news agency. "The reformer and the fluid catalytic cracker were shut, losing more than 100,000-barrels per day gasoline output, a trader said, citing Wood Mackenzie."

The refinery is the "largest producing oil refinery on the West Coast, processing more than 276,000 barrels of crude per day," according to the plant's website.

According to Reuters, the refinery is California's second-largest, and Chevron's second-largest in the U.S., supplying a fifth of all motor vehicle fuels and 40% of the jet fuel used in the isolated southern California market.

California's largest refinery is Marathon Oil Corp.'s Los Angeles Refinery in nearby Carson.

"The incident took place at a processing unit located near the southeast corner of the facility," Ross Allen, adviser at Chevron, USA Corporate Affairs, said in an emailed statement. "Following Chevron's active response along with support from the cities of El Segundo and Manhattan Beach emergency services, the fire is now out. As a result, Chevron has launched an internal investigation to determine the cause.

"Throughout the night, Chevron's emergency response team has been actively managing the situation with a primary focus on ensuring the safety of employees, responders and the community. All personnel and contractors have been accounted for, and no injuries have been reported. As a precautionary measure, Chevron's Health Safety and Environmental team has been conducting mobile air monitoring in the community."

Allen said the company "is actively working with local, state and federal agencies, including CalOSHA, CALOSPR and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, who were notified and are monitoring the incident."

Chevron is also providing information updates to The California Energy Commission is also being updated, he said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, whose district includes El Segundo and who also serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, issued a statement Friday afternoon saying the fire was "fully extinguished.

"Throughout this incident, I have been in contact with El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel, who has briefed me and has also been in communication with Chevron to ensure that the fire was contained," she said. "I have also connected with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) on the status of air quality, and it has reported that there were some elevated levels of volatile organic compounds at both refinery fence line and community monitors. As of 9:30 (Friday) morning, the levels at these monitors are currently at safe threshold levels. AQMD will continue to monitor the air quality and as the situation is evolving."

Nonetheless, AQMD was advising residents to remain indoors if they see or smell smoke and keep their doors and windows closed. It was also suggested that residents run a HEPA air purifier if available.

Gov. Gavin Newsom "has been briefed on the incident," according to a statement from his office, which "is coordinating in real time with local and state agencies to protect the surrounding community and ensure public safety."

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on social media that she was briefed on the fire and spoke with Mitchell.

The Los Angeles Fire Department "stands at the ready to assist with any mutual aid request," Bass wrote, adding "there is no known impact to" nearby Los Angeles International Airport.

Information on how residents can monitor local air quality is available at aqmd.gov/home/rules-compliance/compliance/r1118/community-notifications.

— City News Service

Written by Miles Bennet

A massive fire erupted late Thursday at Chevron Corp.’s refinery in El Segundo, California, sending plumes of smoke and flames visible for miles across the South Bay area. The incident, which began with reports of an explosion around 6:45 p.m. local time, quickly escalated into a major blaze at the facility, one of the largest oil refineries on the West Coast. Eyewitnesses described the initial blast as feeling like a small earthquake, shaking nearby homes and prompting immediate emergency responses from local fire departments.

Chevron’s El Segundo refinery, operational since 1911, processes approximately 276,000 barrels of crude oil per day, producing about 20% of Southern California’s gasoline and 40% of its jet fuel. The fire originated in a jet fuel processing unit, according to initial reports, though the exact cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported, and Chevron confirmed that all personnel were accounted for, but the event disrupted operations and raised immediate concerns about fuel supply chains in the region.

Immediate Response and Containment Efforts

Firefighters from Chevron’s on-site team, along with crews from El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, and Los Angeles County, mobilized rapidly to combat the flames. The blaze, which burned intensely for over two hours, was contained by around 9 p.m., though residual hotspots persisted into the night. Authorities issued shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents, advising them to seal windows and doors to avoid potential smoke inhalation.

Air quality monitoring by the South Coast Air Quality Management District detected no elevated toxins initially, but officials cautioned that conditions could shift as smoke settled. This response draws from protocols refined after past incidents, such as the 2019 fire at a Philadelphia refinery, emphasizing swift isolation of affected units to prevent escalation.

Economic Ramifications for Fuel Markets

Analysts anticipate short-term spikes in California gasoline prices due to the refinery’s significant role in regional supply. As detailed in a report from Reuters, the outage could tighten inventories, especially for jet fuel, potentially affecting Los Angeles International Airport operations, though no disruptions were reported immediately. Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil company, saw its shares dip slightly in after-hours trading, reflecting investor concerns over operational downtime.

The incident underscores vulnerabilities in California’s refining capacity, where environmental regulations and aging infrastructure often lead to higher volatility in fuel costs compared to other states. Industry experts note that repairs could take weeks, depending on damage assessments, further straining a market already pressured by seasonal demand fluctuations.

Environmental and Safety Implications

Environmental groups expressed alarm over potential chemical releases, drawing parallels to historical refinery accidents. Posts on X highlighted public anxiety about toxic smoke, with users referencing past events like the East Palestine derailment to underscore risks of airborne pollutants. While no major spills were confirmed, the fire’s proximity to coastal areas raises questions about runoff into the Pacific Ocean, potentially harming marine life.

Chevron has invested heavily in safety upgrades, including advanced fire suppression systems and regular drills, as outlined in their sustainability reports. However, critics argue that such incidents reveal gaps in oversight. The California Energy Commission is expected to review the event, possibly leading to enhanced regulations on flare systems and emergency preparedness.

Broader Industry Context and Future Outlook

This fire adds to a series of recent disruptions in the U.S. energy sector, including hurricanes impacting Gulf Coast facilities. For Chevron, which acquired the El Segundo plant as part of its broader portfolio, the event may accelerate shifts toward cleaner energy transitions, amid growing pressure from stakeholders for reduced fossil fuel reliance.

Investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local authorities will likely focus on maintenance records and ignition sources. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, residents felt the ground shake, prompting calls for greater community engagement in refinery safety planning. In the long term, this could influence policy debates on infrastructure resilience, balancing economic needs with environmental safeguards in one of America’s most populous states.

Community and Regulatory Reactions

Local officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, were briefed promptly, signaling high-level attention to the crisis. Community forums on X reflected a mix of relief over no casualties and frustration with recurring industrial hazards, with some users demanding independent air quality tests beyond official monitors.

Looking ahead, Chevron’s response will be scrutinized for transparency, especially in communicating health risks. The incident, while contained, serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers in oil refining, pushing the industry toward innovative safety technologies like AI-driven monitoring to preempt future disasters.

A massive fire erupted at an oil refinery in Southern California Thursday night.

Firefighters were dispatched around 9:35 p.m. to the Chevron refinery in El Segundo after receiving calls of smoke in the area, according to authorities.

Billowing smoke and orange flames could be seen in the sky for miles across the South Bay Area.

Fire Division Chief Casey Snow with the El Segundo Fire Department told Fox News Digital that some of the products – gasoline and diesel – were burning.

Witnesses described the fiery scene as visible for miles.

"So I saw the sky turn orange, and I was just wondering, like, what the h--- happened. What is that? And then I saw the whole explosion happen. It was just like a whole mushroom cloud of fire. It just started popping up," Miguel Morales, told Fox News Digital.

Snow said crews contained the flames to the refinery and were focusing on preventing the fire from spreading.

"It’s contained to the Chevron refinery, so there’s no hazard to the adjacent cities or residents in El Segundo or Manhattan Beach," Snow said. "Units on scene are working to depressurize and isolate the incident and suppress the fire."

He also noted that while it is a "waiting game" because of what's burning, there is no threat to residents in surrounding cities at this time.

"It’s just a waiting game right now because there’s residual gasoline and diesel that’s going to burn, and there’s not much we can do about it. We’re just keeping everything around it cool and trying to depressurize it, and eventually that gasoline will burn out and we’ll be in good shape," Snow said.

He added that there are no injuries to report, which was also confirmed by a Chevron spokesperson.

"All refinery personnel and contractors have been accounted for and there are no injuries," Allison Cook said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

She added, "No evacuation orders for area residents have been put in place by emergency response agencies monitoring the incident, and no exceedances have been detected by the facilities fence line monitoring system."

The refinery is one of the largest on the West Coast and serves as a critical hub for the region’s fuel supply. It spans about 2 square miles and processes crude oil into jet fuel, gasoline and other petroleum products.

The facility employs more than 1,000 Chevron employees and another 1,000 contractors work at the site daily, underscoring its role as a major employer in the South Bay Area.

Fox News Digital's Eric Quintanar contributed to this report.