Foul Smell May Have Come From Oil Facility

A foul-smelling cloud that might have come from an oil operation drifted over parts of the city Friday, prompting a rash of complaints to the fire department, authorities said.

Battalion Chief Mick Terich said the obnoxious odor was probably caused by a plume discharged from an oil facility, perhaps in Long Beach or an offshore drilling platform. Terich said such releases happen occasionally.

As the smell moved across the city, firefighters were inundated with calls about foul odors, a department spokesman said. Most of the complaints came from residents near Brookhurst Street and Garfield Avenue, which separates a portion of Huntington Beach from Fountain Valley.

Terich said there were no reports of anyone being overcome by the fumes. A chemical specialist and a hazardous materials team were trying to pinpoint the origin of the smell late last week.