'Extremely apologetic': Abbotsford fire chief sorry for foam spilled in creek

Cleanup is underway in Abbotsford after spilled firefighting foam ended up in a local creek Wednesday night.

In a statement on its website Thursday, the city said it is "working closely" with the provincial Environment Ministry and Fisheries and Oceans Canada to ensure the spill in Stoney Creek is "immediately contained and remediated."

"The spill resulted from firefighting foam being accidentally released from a disconnected hose and entering the storm drain and the waterway," the city's statement reads.

Abbotsford Fire Chief Erick Peterson told CTV News his department is investigating to determine exactly how the foam was spilled.

While it's still under investigation, the spill appears to have occurred during a routine changeover from one type of foam to another, Peterson said.

The fire chief said he's heard of spills of this type happening in other jurisdictions, but has no recollection of it ever happening in Abbotsford before.

Crews change foams regularly, Peterson said, describing the apparent spillage on this occasion as "uncharacteristic."

"The City of Abbotsford is extremely apologetic that this has occurred, and we want to remedy it as quickly as possible," he said.

According to the city's statement, vacuum and flush trucks are working to remove the remaining foam residue from the storm drainage system. Public access to the creek has been restricted at the spill site, with signage and caution tape set up in the area.

"Residents are asked to please stay away from the area while clean-up crews are working and keep pets out of the area," the statement reads.

Peterson said he's not sure exactly how much foam was released, nor how severe the impact to the creek ecosystem was.

There was "some aquatic loss of life" as a result of the spill, he said.