After 6-alarm Etobicoke fire, crews assessing how much runoff in Lake Ontario: ministry

Cleanup crews are trying to determine how much runoff from an industrial fire in Etobicoke a week ago has made its way into Lake Ontario, the province's environment ministry says.

The ministry has said the runoff is affecting two waterways, Mimico Creek and Humber Creek, and containment measures have been in place since August 11 in both creeks. On Friday, it said while measures along Mimico Creek were reinforced Wednesday, Thursday's rain night enabled the spill to move further down Mimico Creek.

"The rapid change in the flow levels in the creek resulting from Thursday evenings heavy rain caused a breach of the spill containment. Work is underway to restore containment at locations along Mimico Creek," the ministry said.

"Cleanup crews are verifying established containment measures along the creeks, which are being reinforced where needed."

The six-alarm fire occurred at Brenntag Canada, a chemical distribution company in Etobicoke.

Toronto Fire Services has said the business deals in oil and vehicle fluids, such as lubricants and solvents. The materials that burned were petroleum products, it said.

Since the fire, dead wildlife has been discovered along Mimico Creek. The Toronto Wildlife Centre has said thousands of fish, a beaver, 10 ducks and a mink have died.

Ducks are cleaned in a soap bath at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. After an industrial fire in Etobicoke last week led to contamination of Mimico Creek, nearly 80 ducks have been pulled from the contaminated creek to be treated and housed at the Toronto charity. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

The ministry says it is working with Toronto Water and waste management company, GFL Environment Inc., to contain and clean up the spilled materials and contaminated water.

Cleanup and containment efforts of the contaminated water include placing booms, hay bales, installing underflow dams, deploying vacuum trucks to collect the oil slurry and diverting discharge from any further release into the creek, the ministry says.

GFL has deployed four boats into the lake to assess how much of the sludge and contaminated water from the fire is currently in the lake, the ministry added.

Toronto Wildlife Centre cleaning oily ducks

The Toronto Wildlife Centre says it has found 86 other ducks, as well as two cooper's hawks, around the Mimico and Humber creeks, covered in oily residue, and are now trying to clean the waterfowl.

Nathalie Karvonen, the centre's executive director, says once residue-covered ducks are captured, a medical exam is done and the animals are tubed with activated charcoal and fluids down their throat to help counteract the toxins they have already ingested.

Ducks walk around a pen after being washed in a soap bath at the Toronto Wildlife Centre in Toronto on Tuesday. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

Once stable, they are bathed in soap and water using a toothbrush and hose to get rid of the potentially toxic substances on their feathers.

"(The birds') feathers in nature are designed to be perfectly waterproofed to not let any water through, so that underneath the exterior feather they are nice, dry and warm," Karvonen says.

"If they are not waterproof, the water will get through to their skin and (they will) get hypothermia, which is life threatening to them."

Once the ducks are healthy and waterproof again, Karvonen says the goal is to release them back into their habitat after the area has been cleaned.

Animal rescue crews have been on scene everyday, Karvonen says, noting the number of animals killed due to contaminants will never be known. Herons have also been seen eating the dead fish, while deer have been spotted drinking the contaminated water.

The wildlife centre is urging anyone who sees an animal in the area covered in residue, distressed or sick to not feed or capture them, and instead call their hotline and report the animal.

GFL Environment Inc., the contractor hired to clean up the runoff, has deployed four boats into the lake to assess how much of the sludge and contaminated water from the fire is currently in the lake, the Ontario environment ministry says. (Michael Cole/CBC)