A broken pipe at a Valero refinery in Wilmington sent a mix of oil, gas and water spewing into the street on Saturday afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Firefighters arriving at the Valero Wilmington Refinery around 1:45 p.m. found the oily mixture shooting roughly 30 feet into the air from the broken pipe and raining onto East Anaheim Street.
Emergency personnel were able to shut down the flow and contain part of the spilled material with sandbags.
“There is currently no widespread or escalating hazard to the public,” LAFD said in a statement.
In a post on X, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city was “working urgently to protect storm drains and waterways” and would continue to monitor the incident. Anaheim Street remained closed in the area for several hours after the shutoff.
Roughly 390 people work at the Wilmington refinery, which can process up to 135,000 barrels per day, according to Valero. The plant produces about 15% of southern California’s asphalt supply, as well as jet fuel, gasoline and diesel.
