Surveillance footage shows driver back into Pasadena gas pump spilling 1,300 gallons

1,300 gallons of gasoline spill into Alhambra wash

The spill was caused by a car backing into a gas pump Sunday evening. Many of the unleaded fuel made it into the Alhambra wash.

PASADENA, Calif. - More than 1300 gallons of gasoline were spilled when a driver backed into a fuel pump in Pasadena Sunday afternoon.

The spill happened at around 3:15 p.m. when a driver accidentally backed into one of the fuel pumps at the 76 Gas Station on Arroyo Parkway and Glenarm Street, according to Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

The initial spill was estimated at anywhere between 800 and 1,000 gallons before it was later updated to more than 1,300 gallons.

The fuel spilled into the drain system and made its way into the nearby Alhambra wash. Hazmat crews with the city of Pasadena cleaned the remaining fuel while the spill was contained. Responding firefighters had to shut power off to the gas station to stop the leak, according to Derderian.

"There was gas everywhere. All over the streets and even on the freeway," said gas station employee Jonathan Lopez.

The incident was captured on surveillance footage showing a driver slowly back into the gas pump before it started gushing fuel. The driver reported the spill to the attendant and left the scene.

Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

Nearby residents in Pasadena and San Marino living along the Alhambra wash were advised to stay indoors and close all windows during the cleanup because of the fumes and strong odor. Anyone feeling sick was urged to call 911.

A tweet from the San Marino Police Department read: "Approximately several hundred gallons of gasoline spilled into the Alhambra wash and is traveling south towards San Marino. As a result, there is a smell of gasoline on the west side of San Marino coming from the Alhambra wash. San Marino Fire and San Marino Police are aware of the situation and request that residents stay inside with all doors and windows closed."

Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.

Environment News Pasadena San Marino