VANCOUVER -- Nelson resident Sarosha Stockton reacted in shock when he saw and smelled first-hand the effects of a 35,000-litre spill Friday into Lemon Creek in the Kootenays.

On the Slocan River, where Lemon Creek empties into it, the water at the river’s edge was milky. The jet fuel had washed onto the rocks and sand where he found dead juvenile fish about the size of a finger or smaller.

“I was extremely shocked. The strong odours in the air were nauseating to say the least. The air was permeated with unburned jet fuel,” said the longtime resident and fishing enthusiast.

Stockton shot video of his visit to the river 24 hours after the spill and posted it to YouTube.

“I just wanted to get the information out there and show people exactly what’s going on,” said Stockton, who runs a website called kootenayangler.com.

Calling it a terrible day for the Sloan River and residents, he said he posted the video because he is concerned about the long-term effects on the river and residents and wanted to ensure the spill was properly addressed.

The tanker truck that crashed into Lemon Creek, about 60 kilometres north of Castlegar, was on its way to supply helicopters battling a nearby wildfire when it rolled off a gravel logging road.

Initially, B.C. government officials said there were no reports of fish or wildlife being killed, but Sunday said they are aware fish kills are being reported. B.C. Environment Ministry spokeswoman Bernadette Murphy also said they have had reports of a heron being affected by the spill, as well as reports of unusual bird behaviour. She said an overhead flight spotted jet fuel trapped along the river in log debris. No fuel was observed below the Brilliant hydroelectric dam close to Castlegar.

Murphy said the trucking company is responsible for the cleanup, but they are providing technical advice and monitoring the incident.

Stockton said there were no booms Saturday used to prevent the flow of spilled contaminants where Lemon Creek emptied into the Slocan River. He revisited the same spot Sunday and some small booms had been put up, but he didn’t believe they were adequate.

He added he would have liked to have seen a quicker response.

Stockton has been told by residents living further down the Slocan River that by Sunday they were collecting buckets of dead fish.

He noted the dead fish he found on a four- to five-metre stretch of river were right beside what used to be a “fantastic” fishing pool.

Ministry officials said the trucking firm, Executive Fuel Services, has hired SNC Lavelin to assess the spill’s environmental and wildlife effects. The trucking firm has been instructed to collect and analyze dead fish.

The crash occurred about

5 p.m. Friday, the company advised officials around 6 p.m. and an evacuation order was issued around 9:30 p.m. Friday night for 80-square kilometre area along the creek and the Slocan River that it feeds. The area covered by the order was reduced Saturday morning and then lifted entirely.

Officials said the fuel evaporates quickly and Dr. Trevor Corneil, the medical officer of health for Interior Health, said air samples in the area were well below the danger limit by mid-afternoon.

“The concern with this particular type of jet fuel is direct contact with the skin can cause burning and certainly significant reaction on the skin. If one breathes significant amounts of it, it can damage the throat and the airway,” Corneil said, adding that it can also cause health problems if swallowed.

No acute health problems had been reported, he said.

Almost all of the tanker load — 35,000 litres — spilled in the creek. The driver has minor injuries.

Wayne Smook, senior vice-president of airport services for the truck owner, Calgary-based Executive Flight Centre, said he hadn’t spoken to the driver but understood that the truck rolled when the shoulder of the road collapsed.

He said the accident occurred between 1 and 2 p.m., and the driver had to walk several kilometres down the gravel road to seek help.

The company sent one crew to the scene Friday night and another on Saturday.

“The focus now is on containment and cleanup,” Smook said.

With files from Canadian Press

ghoekstra@vancouversun.com