10,000 Gallons of Oil Spill into San Fernando Valley

An above-ground oil main near Glendale burst early Thursday morning, sending about 10,000 gallons of crude oil spilling out into a half-mile area in Glendale and nearby Atwater Village, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department alert.

Fire Captain Jamie Moore told the Associated Press that the oil shot up over 20 feet in the air, and that the oil was knee-high in some areas.

According to NBC Los Angeles, four employees of a nearby industrial plant were evaluated on-site for respiratory problems, and two of them were then taken to the hospital. 

Several area businesses were affected by the oil spill, including a strip club.

Most of the oil has already been vacuumed up by the Fire Department, LAFD Chief Jamie Moore told NBC. Cleanup crews will now use absorbent “diapers” to clean up the rest of the oil, and will then pressure wash the area to complete the cleanup.

An early LAFD alert just after the pipe burst at about 12:15 a.m. estimated the amount of oil to be one million gallons. About two hours later, the estimate was revised to 50,000 gallons and then eventually revised down to 10,000.