Oil From Broken Pipe Ignites Blaze Near Ventura Freeway
Oil from a broken pipe in the hills above the Ventura Freeway near Solimar Beach caught fire and burned for 50 minutes Monday evening.
The burning oil, from a 4-inch feeder line owned by Vintage Petroleum, was discovered about 4:50 p.m., Ventura County fire officials said. About 25 firefighters responded to the fire, and helped protect oil storage tanks perched on the nearby hillside.
By the time oil company officials closed the feeder line at 5:40 p.m., about 40 gallons of oil had burned, fire officials said. Helicopters patrolled the area, but no other fires were discovered.
Paul Roden, a production foreman with Vintage Petroleum, said a high-pressure sensor in the pipe may have broken and caused the feeder line to rupture. The origin of the fire remains a mystery.
Between 35 and 40 gallons of oil spilled during the incident, but remained in a 30-square-foot enclosure.
“It’s a small amount, so we’ll be able to clean it up with soap and water,” Roden said.
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