Large diesel spill in downtown Vancouver closes street, evacuates grocery store

A hazardous materials team responds to a diesel spill in downtown Vancouver on Sunday, Feb. 11.

Firefighters are at the scene of a diesel leak in a downtown Vancouver parkade.

A stretch of Homer Street at Georgia was shut down Sunday morning as eight apparatus including hazardous materials team worked to contain the spill. As of 11:30 a.m., the road remains closed.

A nearby Loblaws City Market was also evacuated.

Matthew Trudeau with Vancouver Fire Rescue Services told CTV News the large spill is contained, and crews are currently removing the diesel and trying to figure out what caused the incident.

The leak came from a generator on the top floor of the parkade and trickled down a few floors, Trudeau said.

Diesel fumes pose a health hazard if inhaled, and while it’s harder to ignite than gasoline, the combustible liquid still carries a fire risk, he explained.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kevin Charach