Chevron: Flames, white clouds of steam from California refinery part of routine process

Large flames and white clouds of steam visible for miles from a San Francisco Bay Area refinery caused no harm to the surrounding community.

Chevron says in a statement a refinery process unit that was depressurized Thursday night created the flare and water vapor that looked like smoke.

The Richmond Fire Department dispatched crews to the refinery but cancelled the call when the refinery told them it was a normal flaring operation.

KTVU-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1AAe9ob) no one was injured inside the plant, and no alarms went off that would indicate a chemical release.

The county hazardous materials team will request a report from Chevron in the next three days explaining what caused the flare.

A 2012 refinery fire prompted more than 15,000 people to seek treatment for respiratory problems and other discomforts after the blaze.

___

Information from: KTVU-TV.