Attorneys are suing Chevron Corp. over a California refinery fire that sent thousands of people to the hospital and contributed to higher gasoline prices on the West Coast.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Contra Costa County Superior Court alleges that Chevron was grossly negligent in its handling of refinery maintenance, as well as emergency response to the accident in Richmond.

Attorneys are representing nine alleged victims, including three children, but they say there will be more plaintiffs, and a class-action suit is likely.

The area around the Richmond refinery was engulfed by a towering vapor cloud before igniting into a volatile blaze on Aug. 6. More than a dozen workers managed to narrowly escape serious injury.

Chevron officials say the San Ramon-based company will review the lawsuit.