Crews racing to contain an oil spill near Ojai

Cleanup was underway this week in a wooded, remote area of Ventura County after about 420 gallons of crude oil inundated a waterway, officials said, and crews were working to stay ahead of the storm.

- BY GAVIN J. QUINTON

MICHAEL OWEN BAKER For The Times

SISAR CREEK in Ventura County, where about 420 gallons of crude oil spilled into a tributary this week.

An above-ground storage tank operated by Carbon California spilled the oil into a remote tributary of Sisar Creek near Ojai, contaminating about three-quarters of a mile of the waterway, according to state wildlife officials.

Although the waterway and spill are small compared to other major oil spills, “everything counts,” said Kristina Meris, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

“There's wildlife, there's the environment, and people live in these areas,” she said. “We want to clean up everything we possibly can as quickly as we can safely.”

Initial reports of an oil spill were received Tuesday afternoon, Meris said. But steep terrain, limited road access and the approaching severe weather complicated the cleanup.

Responders reached the creek bed Wednesday and “hit it pretty hard,” Meris said, setting up a safety zone around the site. Officials also were conducting air quality tests to evaluate health hazards.