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Ruptured pipe spills 10,000 gallons of crude oil onto LA streets

Ruptured pipe spills 10,000 gallons of crude oil onto LA streets

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Oil geyser reportedly doused a nearby strip joint, but no one has been hurt

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The Los Angeles Fire Department reports that an oil pipe has burst overnight, estimating that over 10,000 gallons of crude oil have been spilled over a half-mile area. The rupture has come at a section above ground and was initially thought to be much worse, with estimates being revised down from a vast million gallons of runoff to 50,000 to the current figure. The LAFD has now contained the spill, the oil line has been shut off, and everything is being returned to normal — with no reported injuries — but areas remain where the oil is said to be "knee-high."

Among the businesses affected by this spillage was a nearby strip club, which the AP reports was evacuated without incident. The local NBC station says that "oil was seen shooting 15 to 20 feet upward in the sky" before landing onto The Gentlemen's Club in Atwater Village.

Update May 15th, 9:59AM: The LAFD has revised its estimate down to a figure of 10,000 gallons of oil. This article has been updated to reflect the changing numbers.