Firefighters Work Urgently to Protect Storm Drains from Oil Leak
Channel: LAFD
Date: 25/04/2023

RANCHO PARK - A broken underground oil line leaked for hours Monday evening, while firefighters urgently worked to contain the flow and keep it out of the storm drains.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned to the 2800 block of South Sepulveda Boulevard at 5:54 PM on Monday, April 24, 2023 for a broken subterranean oil line that was leaking. Firefighters arrived to find oil coming out of the ground at a rate of approximately 3-5 gallons per minute. They urgently created dams using shovels and nearby dirt to contain the leaking oil and protect the storm drains. An estimated total of approximately 1,000 gallons made its way out of the ground. The flow was stopped after approximately two hours and only about 20-40 gallons escaped into the storm drain before firefighters contained the rest in the immediate area.

The mitigation effort took multiple agencies working in coordination. Clean Harbors ordered a vacuum truck, Street Services delivered sand, and LAFD Heavy Equipment will respond to position the sand to provide additional material to protect the drains and the environment. Multiple oil pipes run through the area and agencies are working together to determine which line was compromised. Watershed, LA County Health Hazmat, and Clean Harbors will handle the clean up, along with the parties on site. Thankfully, there were no injuries, no fire, and no evacuations needed.