Terry Collins

Investigators are asking how a seemingly insignificant leak at one of the country's biggest oil refineries quickly grew into an intense fire that sent hundreds of people to hospitals and is expected to boost West Coast gasoline prices.

A major fire at one of the country's biggest oil refineries that sent scores of people to hospitals with breathing problems will contribute to higher prices at the gasoline pump, analysts say. The fire at the Chevron refinery near San Francisco sent plumes of black smoke over the Bay Area.

More than 1,000 Occupy Wall Street protesters blocked cargo trucks at some of the West Coast's busiest ports Monday, forcing terminals in Oakland, Calif., Portland, Ore., and Longview, Wash., to halt operations.