CALIFORNIA — An oil spill, at least four miles wide has been reported in Santa Barbara County, according to local reports.
Crews were initially called about a strong odor at Refugio Beach around noon.
From NBC-LA: “Aerial footage showed that the spill may have happened in a portion of the pipeline above ground on land near the beach and made its way down to the sand and into the water.
Representatives from the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, Exxon and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department are on scene of the spill.
The leak has been stopped, a Coast Guard spokesman said.”
“Right now, we’ve got about a mile of coastline that’s being affected on the northern Santa Barbara County coast,” the captain said as of 4 p.m.
The incident was unfolding about 20 miles west of Santa Barbara and prompted authorities to shut down access to the affected beaches.
Refugio State Beach is a protected state beach park located 20 miles west of Santa Barbara, California. It is 2.5 miles west of El Capitán State Beach.
During the summer months, the Junior Life Guard program resides at the beach during the day.Photo via NBC-LA
