The Vancouver seawall was closed Monday morning between Granville and Burrard bridges as crews investigated and mopped up a fuel spill in False Creek.

Coast Guard response teams laid 1,000 feet of containment boom in an area around Fisherman’s Wharf, just west of Granville Island, following a suspected diesel spill.

It said between 500 to 5,000 litres had spilled, and was sitting on the water's surface.

The source is unknown, and a helicopter was dispatched in an effort to pinpoint the source in Burrard Inlet from the air. There is a noticeable sheen in the water and a very strong smell of diesel in the air.

Jeff Brady of the Canadian Coast Guard said they’re confident the spill is contained to the area, and the containment effort is centred around the wharf.

“From my experience it’s really concentrated in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. We’ve gone outside of False Creek and didn’t see any sheen out there. We’ve gone deeper into False Creek to Science World and didn’t see any large concentrations like we see here,” he told CTV Morning Live.

false creek fuel spill

The City of Vancouver advised people using the water to avoid the area.

Deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston said it should be cleaned up within a day.

“At this point, it’s really more of an irritant to people with respiratory issues, so we’re advising paddlers and other people with sensitivities to stay out of the immediate area,” he told CTV Morning Live.

Steve Laleune of Vancouver Fire and Rescue said the spill appears to be contained, and the diesel smell will “evaporate over time.”

First responders were first alerted to the area around 10:30 p.m. Sunday to a strong smell of diesel in the air. Both Vancouver fire crews and Coast Guard were called out overnight.

Hazmat teams checked manholes and any other possible land-based sources but it was determined the source was the water, near the wharf.