McKITTRICK, Calif.
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Five people were injured when an oil well exploded Monday night while they were working on it.
Around 9:30 p.m. Monday, the Kern County Fire Department said they received a call for an oil well blow-out at Occidental Petroleum in Elk Hills, east of McKittrick.
When fire crews arrived, they were faced with an oil well head undergoing maintenance that had an unexpected pressure release.
Several workers suffered minor to serious injuries when exiting from the well, Sean Collins of the KCFD said.
Initial action from firefighters was to triage and treat the injured and ensure the safety of personnel, Collins said.
The hazardous materials unit from Bakersfield arrived and monitored the atmosphere for any release of hazardous gases.
A total of two injured were transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital. Another two people were transported by ambulance and a fifth person was treated at the scene but refused transport.
There were no reported injuries to firefighters.
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