This footage shows thick, black smoke rising from a California refinery which caused numerous concerns among citizens and reportedly made them panic.

Worried residents from El Segundo city in the US state of California phoned the local fire department after seeing dark plumes of smoke billowing from a nearby refinery on the morning of 6th December.

The hair-raising footage was obtained by Newsflash from Suzette Collett, a retired graphic designer who happened upon the sight of the flaming facility after stepping out on her roof deck.

But thankfully, it turned out that the fumes were not an accident, and rather a planned event at the refinery, Suzette revealed in an interview with Newsflash.

And Jeff Wilson, a spokesperson from the refinery later reassured citizens and told local media: “There is no threat to the community. The safety flare operation is an important safety release device.”