Haz Mat Scene Reported In French Valley After Fuel Spill

FRENCH VALLEY, CA — The Riverside County Fire Department's hazardous material team was sent Friday to the French Valley airport, where more than 50 gallons of jet fuel spilled, officials report.

The incident was first reported at 11:08 a.m. at the airport, located in the 37000 block of Sky Canyon Drive, according to the fire department. More than 50 gallons of jet fuel was inadvertently dumped onto a ramp outside a hangar near the midpoint of the county-owned airfield.

A battalion chief at the scene said that between 50 and 60 gallons of Jet A, similar to kerosene, leaked out of a refueling truck, but it was unclear whether it seeped out while the truck was being loaded from an in-ground tank, or being dispensed with a hose.

Crews contained the spill to a roughly 100-square-foot space and summoned a hazardous-materials team to mop up the fuel.

The FAA was notified about the incident, but airport operations were not suspended, according to reports from the scene.

— City News Service contributed to this report