Local News in Brief : Fire, Odor at Mobil Refinery

A small fire at the Mobil refinery in Torrance was extinguished Thursday without injuries, a refinery official said.

The fire occurred about nine hours after air quality officials received eight calls Wednesday from Torrance residents downwind of the refinery who complained about a rotten-egg smell. The spokesman said the two incidents were not related.

Mobil spokesman James Carbonetti said the fire started about 12:30 a.m. Thursday and was put out by refinery employees. Torrance firefighters were at the site to back them up, he said.

The foul odor was apparently caused by a release of hydrogen sulfide, a refining byproduct that can be smelled in low concentrations.

Bill Kelly, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said two inspectors were sent to the refinery but were unable pinpoint the source of the odor. No citation was issued, he said.

Kelley said the calls began at 3:50 p.m. and continued for 45 minutes, coming from addresses along the direction of the wind, which was blowing out of the north. “It appears to have been some sort of cloud,” he said.