500 Flee Blast at Petroleum Center

An explosion and fire at a petroleum distribution center just east of this rural Ventura County community forced the evacuation of about 500 area residents Friday, but no one was injured, fire officials said.

Firefighters said that there was an explosion in a shed area at the Clark Corp., about a half mile east of town, shortly after 7 p.m. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

County Fire Department Dispatcher Vicki Crabtree said a tanker truck driver, who had been unloading gasoline nearby, managed to shut off the tanker’s valves and run for his life. His truck was not involved in the fire.

Flames from 50 to 100 feet high glowed orange against the rainy sky.

About 85 firefighters, manning 17 engines, three support units, and a hazardous materials squad responded and battled the fire for more than an hour. There was no immediate estimate of damages.

At the evacuation center set up by the Red Cross at Santa Paula High School, Manuel Aguilar, a Santa Paula resident who lives near the Clark property, said he was baby-sitting his nephews when he heard an explosion.

“The house shook, and I looked outside and there was a huge column of smoke about 100 feet high, and a ball of fire in the sky,” he said.

Aguilar said he and his nephews, ages 7 and 8, ran outside, and were told by firefighters to evacuate the area.