Plane fuel spills after car crash

Deepa Bharath

Major environmental damage to the Upper Newport Bay was averted

Friday after 4,000 gallons of jet fuel that spilled during a traffic

collision failed to reach the flood control channels, officials said.

The fuel leaked after a suspected drunk driver in a sport utility

vehicle broadsided a tanker truck near the Costa Mesa Freeway at

Baker Street and Paularino Avenue at about 2 a.m. Friday, police

said. The sport utility vehicle was exiting the freeway and the big

rig was eastbound on Paularino, Costa Mesa Police officials said.

The truck, loaded with 8,000 gallons, was on its way to John Wayne

Airport. The crash caused the tractor-trailer to jackknife, roll over

and spill about half its load into the street.

Most of the spill flowed into a concrete ravine where it was

absorbed by dirt and debris, Costa Mesa Fire Battalion Chief Gregg

Steward said.

“We got really lucky with this one,” he said. “It could’ve been

pretty harmful to the environment if any of the fuel had gotten into

the flood control channel.”

Police arrested Orlando Aguilar, a 27-year-old Orange resident, on

suspicion of drunk driving. Aguilar suffered minor injuries and was

treated and released at Hoag Hospital. He posted a $2,600 bail.

Henry Liton, 70, the driver of the big rig, also escaped with

minor injuries, officials said.

The cleanup, however, lasted all morning, closing Baker and

Paularino near the Costa Mesa Freeway to traffic until about noon.

The Baker offramp was also closed during that time.

Crews worked until late afternoon shoveling the oil-soaked debris

into plastic bags, Steward said.

The spill could have been very serious had it found its way into

the flood control channel and to Upper Newport Bay, said Monica

Mazur, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

“If it had happened, we would’ve had to have a closure,” she said.

“It would’ve been really bad because Upper Newport Bay is a preserve,

and jet fuel can do some damage.”

About 30 firefighters responded to the incident. Huntington Beach

and Santa Ana hazardous materials units also assessed the situation,

Steward said.

“They concluded that the fuel was not highly flammable,” he said.

“Jet fuel is like diesel. It’s not as flammable as gasoline.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.