Possible Fuel Leak from Freight Vessel Cause Hazmat Response at L.A. Port

WILMINGTON, CA - A freight vessel leaked fuel or some other fluid into the waters of the Port of Los Angeles on Sunday, prompting a hazmat response.

The spill was reported about 7:25 p.m. at Berth 202, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fluid -- suspected to be fuel -- leaked from a large car-carrying ship and left a visible sheen in the water, Stewart said.

Fire department crews aboard boats placed booms around the ship.

A a hazmat team boarded the vessel along with U.S. Coast Guard personnel to identify the material, ensure that the leak had stopped and make sure "no life hazard exists," Stewart said.

"At that time, a private company will handle the mitigation (and ) clean up work," she said.

--City News Service, photo via Shutterstock