10K gallons of oil spills in Atwater Village

ATWATER VILLAGE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A burst pipeline spewed about 10,000 gallons of crude oil over a half-mile area in Atwater Village early Thursday morning. Fire officials suspect it was caused by a malfunctioning valve.

Los Angeles firefighters and hazmat teams responded to the call at about 2 a.m. about a burst 20-inch, above-ground oil line in the 5100 block of West San Fernando Road. The oil was already 2.5 feet deep in some places and spraying 20-to-50 feet high when firefighters arrived, officials said.

Initially, LAFD reported 1 million gallons of crude oil spilled onto the street. That was later updated to 50,000 gallons, and then downgraded again to 10,000 gallons.

The pipeline, owned by Plains West Coast Pipeline, was remotely shut off and four businesses were evacuated, including a gentleman's club. Crews placed sand on the ground to prevent the oil from flowing into the Los Angeles River.

Two women complaining of nausea were taken to a hospital.

West San Fernando Road, which parallels San Fernando Road Road, between Electronic Place and Chevy Chase Drive was closed for cleanup.