By Kevin Tidmarsh for LAist
Originally published on May 25, 2026
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network said it has taken in 25 birds affected by an oil spill as of Sunday night. The pipe rupture Friday released more than 2,000 gallons of crude oil into an East Los Angeles neighborhood, affecting the Los Angeles River.
About the rescue: Trained responders have stabilized the birds and taken them to the Los Angeles Oiled Bird Care & Education Center for additional care. According to UC Davis’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network, the responders include UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, International Bird Rescue, and Huntington Beach’s Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center.
If you see oiled animals: Don’t touch them. Instead, call the Oiled Wildlife Care Network’s hotline at 1 (877) 823-6926. The sooner you call it in, the better the animal’s chance of survival.
Why you shouldn’t handle them: The same reason the birds need to be rescued – touching oil and breathing in fumes is dangerous to animals (including humans). Instead, call the hotline and leave it to people with proper training.
Where you might see oiled wildlife: It’s more likely close to or downstream from East L.A., though the oil sheen reached as far down as Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach. Oil-absorbing mechanisms kept it from reaching the ocean, and efforts to mitigate the spill appear to be working, the city of Long Beach said yesterday.
How the incident occurred: Crews drilling a fiber optic cable in East L.A. reportedly struck a 16-inch petroleum pipeline early Friday morning. See here for the backstory.
For people near the spill: Learn more about the health risks, and how to keep yourself safe from them, here.
Kyle Chrise contributed reporting.
