Dead fish, ducks found after runoff from industrial fire seeps into 2 Toronto creeks, province says

Runoff from a massive industrial fire in Etobicoke on Friday has left dead fish and ducks in a Toronto creek, the Ontario environment ministry said on Monday.

Some of the ducks in Mimico Creek that have survived the runoff have been coated in an oily sludge, according to the Toronto Wildlife Centre.

The runoff from the six-alarm fire at Brenntag Canada, a chemical distribution company in North Etobicoke, is not expected to affect municipal drinking water however, the ministry said in a statement to CBC Toronto. It said the runoff is affecting Mimico Creek and Humber Creek, but not the Humber River and Lake Ontario.

The ministry added it has taken samples of the impacted creeks and is in the process of analyzing them.

"The containment and cleanup efforts appear to be effective in controlling any further release of the emulsified oily runoff," it said. "We are continuing to gather information about the extent of environmental impacts. We have observed impacts to wildlife including dead fish and ducks in Mimico Creek."

Toronto Fire Services has said the business where the fire occurred deals in oil and vehicle fluids, such as lubricants and solvents. The business is near Martin Grove and Belfield Roads.

Environment ministry staff have been on the site of the spill since Friday, when containment and cleanup efforts began with the help of Toronto Water, Brenntag Canada and cleanup crews the company has hired to contain the spill, the ministry said.

The ministry added that containment and cleanup locations have been set up downstream of Humber Creek and Mimico Creek.

A view of the sludge on Mimico Creek in Etobicoke. The Ontario environment ministry is analyzing samples from the creek and says cleanup and containment efforts are underway. (Submitted by the Toronto Wildlife Centre)

Measures to contain the spill and absorb the substance include using booms and hay bales, installing underflow dams, deploying vacuum trucks to collect the oil slurry and diverting discharges from reaching the creeks, the ministry said.

"The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks takes all spills and threats to the natural environment very seriously. The ministry's role is to ensure that those responsible for any environmental impacts take all necessary measures to restore the environment," the ministry added.

In a statement on Monday, the city said Toronto Water staff are monitoring the situation around the clock.

Ducks undergoing 'specialized baths' to remove runoff

Meanwhile, a rescue team organized by the Toronto Wildlife Centre has begun to clean mallard ducks coated in the sludge that has seeped into Mimico Creek.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the centre said its team has captured 49 ducks in Mimico Creek since Saturday. The team brought the ducks into the centre to undergo "specialized baths" to remove "harmful run-off" from the fire.

Twenty-five of the ducks were to be bathed on Monday.

"This is only after the patients were deemed medically stable, and received treatment to help rid them of any ingested chemicals with a charcoal flush. All oil-covered patients will undergo this intricate process — while most are stable, four have tragically passed away despite efforts to save as many as possible," the Facebook post reads.

A Toronto Wildlife Centre worker washes a duck from Mimico Creek that was covered in a 'sludge-like chemical substance.' (Submitted by Toronto Wildlife Centre)

The centre added: "Call after call to report sightings continue to pour in to our wildlife hotline, and the rescue team is back out today along Mimico Creek expecting to capture another 20 or more affected water birds."

Members of the public are asked to continue to report to the centre any sightings of birds affected by the substance and that appear oiled, are preening themselves excessively or shaking their wings, hiding under bushes or staying away from the water.

In an earlier Facebook post, the centre said the area of concern includes waterways and golf courses near Mimico Creek and is between Highway 401 and Rathburn Road.

Toronto Fire Services said the fire was reported at about 1:15 a.m. on Friday and there were still firefighters at the scene as of Tuesday extinguishing hot spots. At its peak, there were more than 100 firefighters and 30 trucks involved in trying to bring the blaze under control.

The materials that burned were petroleum products, Toronto Fire Services said.

No one was injured but residents in the area were asked to keep their windows closed until 2 p.m. on the day that the fire broke out. Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal and Toronto Fire Services are jointly investigating the cause of the fire.