Horror four-mile oil slick on California coast: Fears for wildlife as 21,000 gallons of crude oil spills from ruptured pipeline

• Pipeline dumped in culvert under freeway and spill reaches for miles and goes 50 yards out on Refugio State Beach
• Santa Barbara County health officials shut down the beach as spill comes days before Memorial Day weekend
• The busted pipeline is operated by Plains All American Pipeline LP and the cause of the rupture is still unknown
• The Coast Guard, Department of Fish and Wildlife and Santa Barbara County are assisting on the clean-up 

By REUTERS and ASSOCIATED PRESS and DAILY MAIL REPORTER

PUBLISHED: 00:34 GMT, 20 May 2015 | UPDATED: 08:46 GMT, 20 May 2015

Tens of thousands of dead fish wash up in Marina del Rey and officials have not said why

• About 70,000 dead fish, sting rays and other marine life washed into the suburban California harbor over the weekend
• Local experts claim warmer waters caused oxygen-stifling algae to bloom
• The mess was mostly cleaned up by late Sunday

By Ryan Gorman

Published: 16:24 GMT, 19 May 2014 | Updated: 19:02 GMT, 19 May 2014 

‘Ferocious’ wildfires force evacuation of 20,000 homes near San Diego after months of drought in California

• The wildfire - dubbed the Bernardo Fire - comes after months of drought
• Tuesday's temperature was the highest since 1979 for this time of year
• Flames spread across 700 acres as firemen and helicopters tackled the blaze
• At least five schools and 20,000 homes evacuated in San Diego, California
• A second fire in Santa Barbara County led to 1,200 homes being evacuated

By Steph Cockroft

Published: 03:46 GMT, 14 May 2014 | Updated: 13:30 GMT, 14 May 2014