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It is estimated that 126,000 gallons of oil leaked from an offshore installation.
A major oil spill off the coast of southern California has forced the closure of Huntington Beach and planned activities in the area.
A leak from an offshore oil production facility spilled 3,000 barrels of oil, or about 126,000 gallons, on Saturday, Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said.
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified of the spill around 9 a.m. on Saturday, Carr said. Early Sunday morning, the oil had reached the shore. It had entered the Talbert Marshes and the Santa Ana River Trail, spanning an area of approximately 5.8 nautical miles, the town of Huntington Beach said in a press release Sunday morning.
The scale of the spill “demanded swift and aggressive action,” officials said.
Skimming equipment and booms have been deployed to prevent oil from spilling into the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve and Huntington Beach wetlands, according to the city. The cause of the spill was not immediately clear.
The last day of the Pacific Airshow has been canceled to facilitate cleanup operations, city officials said Sunday morning. Additionally, residents have been advised not to swim, surf, or exercise near the beach due to potential health hazards, such as toxic fumes.
The oil spill is already affecting wildlife, with dead birds and fish already washing up on beaches, and damage to Talbert wetlands is “significant,” Orange County supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted .
Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery reported to Foley he saw dolphins swimming through the slippery oil plumes as he made his way back to shore from Catalina, Foley tweeted.
The California Department of Wildlife has set up a hotline to report wildlife affected by oil. Individuals are advised not to handle wildlife but to report incidents to 877-823-6926.
ABC News’ Matthew Furhman, Ahmad Hemingway and Bonnie Mclean contributed to this report.
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