Demopolis firefighters responded Thursday night to the report of gasoline in the Whitfield canal under Walnut Street.

A neighborhood resident reported the smell of gasoline in the water of the historic canal at approximately 6 p.m. The gas had come through a storm drain, said captain Carl Johnson of the Demopolis Fire Department.

The amount of or the source of the gasoline was unknown. The case is under investigation.

The amount of gasoline would not be known by the smell. Whether it is a gallon or 10 gallons, gasoline is real vaporous, Johnson said.

Gasoline stays on the top of the water, and local firefighters conducted "preventive measures" including a dike to contain the substance and putting pads in the water to absorb the gasoline.

The fire department contacted the county Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management regarding the case, Johnson said.