Chevron is working to bring back online key processing units at its El Segundo refinery in Southern California following a fire that hit the jet fuel (ISOMAX) unit last week. The blaze, though contained, forced multiple unit shutdowns, and now Chevron is prioritizing recovery efforts while continuing limited output of transportation fuels. Reuters reports the facility still supplies roughly 20% of California’s motor fuel and 40% of its jet fuel, making this restart vital for regional supply stability.

While investigations into the fire’s cause continue (including oversight by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health), Chevron noted that crude inventories in the Pacific region (PADD V) remain above average—an encouraging buffer during the outage.

For regional refiners and logistics providers, this incident underscores how sensitive fuel markets can be to disruptions in critical conversion units. The speed and safety of restoration will influence pricing and spot availability, especially for jet fuel, which has narrower supply redundancy.