Hundreds of fish have died in the River Tame after a mass of foam, triggered by a fire, contaminated the water. The dead fish were discovered following a blaze at an industrial unit off Wellington Road in Greenfield, Oldham, Greater Manchester, at the weekend.
Passersby noticed foam accumulating on the surface of the water, caused by firewater runoff used to extinguish the blaze, according to the Environment Agency (EA). Alarming images reveal enormous four-by-ten-metre walls of white foam covering the water.
Environment Agency response
An EA spokesperson said: "Our officers worked with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to respond to a fire in Oldham yesterday. Although containment measures were taken, some firewater runoff entered the River Tame."
Officers recorded several hundred dead fish in the affected area, however this morning they found no additional fish fatalities. The government body also confirmed that surface foam "remained visible" but that it "appears to be dispersing downstream".
They added: "We will continue to monitor the situation and assess any ongoing environmental impacts."
Witness account
Craig Hannah, 57, who lives just a stone's throw from the river, witnessed the blaze, which broke out at around 7:30am on Sunday. He claimed the premises that caught fire was used to manufacture and package cleaning products.
He said: "I was worried by the fire as I only live around 70 metres from it. Luckily we were downwind." Residents were evacuated but have since been allowed to return to their homes.
But Craig became concerned about the extent of the foam in the river after hearing about its alleged pollution. He said: "I had heard concerns about the amount of foam and dead fish in the River Tame which runs adjacent to the site of the fire. Living very close to the site, smoke and the chemical smell still being in the air the following day I decided to take a walk down the river and see for myself the extent of the foam."
"I did not see any dead fish myself, but the foam in some areas was staggering, up to 4 meters high and 10 meters long in places where it got trapped in overhanging branches." He said further down the river he could see that the foam had begun breaking down.
He said: "It was slowly disappearing, almost like icebergs in the Arctic." Though he added he hopes it hasn't disrupted the ecosystem.
Concerns for wildlife
The countryside warden said: "I am really sad at the potential implications of the runoff pollution. I first moved to the area in 1988 to work for the Tame Valley Warden Services, who managed the green corridor that is the River Tame. Over the years I have seen the whole valley flourish, stretches of river where there were no fish now full of specimen fish of many species, plus the general wildlife you associate with a river environment. I just hope that reports of dead fish were was short lived and most of the river ecology has survived."
The news of the River Tame being contaminated by foam follows another incident reported in the M.E.N. on Saturday (August 15) of a "foam iceberg" appearing on a river in Middleton. Video shared with the Manchester Evening News showed a 10ft tall pile of foam on top of the water after it had crashed over a weir on Thursday night. Eye-witness Wayne Brady reported an odour stinging the back of his throat and he is captured saying during one clip: "Never seen anything like that on a river... It's disgusting."
Residents and a local angling club reported the incident to the Environment Agency (EA) who confirmed it had launched an investigation. Michael Duddy, chairman of Salford Friendly Anglers' Society which was founded in 1817, said: "We've had pollution on the Irwell in Radcliffe, and now this pollution on the Irk - the river levels are already very low because of the drought and these events will be very damaging to wildlife. This pollution has been reported to the EA."
