County Fire Department Hazmat and Santa Barbara City Fire crews responded to a hazardous materials spill around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Chapala and Figueroa streets in downtown Santa Barbara.
Fire officials traced the liquid to its origin, the parking lot behind the Long’s Drug store on State Street. The liquid, a stripping solution used to clean floors, was apparently thrown out in the parking lot instead of disposed of properly.
The liquid wound its way down to the street and was headed along Chapala eastward. Fire and Hazmat crews were able to soak up the spill before it entered the rain gutters, preventing the liquid from making its way to the ocean.
Long’s Drug Stores Corp. has accepted responsibility for the accident and has agreed to pay for the cleanup.