Oil Tanker Crashes In Santa Barbara County; Some Oil Spilled Into Cuyama River

An oil tanker accident has cause a big oil spill in Santa Barbara County
(Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo)

An accident involving an oil tanker has led to a massive oil spill impacting the Cuyama River in Santa Barbara County.

The crash happened just after 6 a.m. Saturday, on Highway 166 about 20 miles east of Highway 101.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department officials say the tanker ended up in the riverbed.  The think it was carrying about 6,000 gallons of crude oil.  The driver was unhurt.

Firefighters working with a cleanup contrator have installed booms and created a dirt berm to try to contain the spill.  They've also deployed oil spill cleanup pads.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. 

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Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.