2 Hurt in Mobil Refinery Fire

A flash fire this morning at the Mobil Oil Corp. refinery in Torrance sent two workers to a hospital. Torrance Fire Marshal Denny Haas said the injuries occurred when a “minor explosion” ignited the fire in a drum in which coke, a residue of the refining process, is stored. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Sylvester Harris, 43, was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital for treatment of first-degree facial burns. Another Mobil employee, Charles Powell, 29, was sent to the hospital for observation after being knocked down by the blast. The sprawling refinery was the scene of a major explosion and spectacular fire Nov. 24 that injured four, broke windows in nearby homes and businesses, and caused damage to the refinery estimated at several millions of dollars.