Cary, N.C. — A beaver dam helped protect Cary's water supply from what officials feared was a fuel spill on Monday, town officials said.

Raleigh hazardous materials teams initially said the spill at 91 Mackeanan Drive was significant, but did not pose a potential for injury or fire. Cary officials later said that experts had determined the spill involved a non-toxic cleaning agent of some sort.

Town spokeswoman Susan Moran said Monday night that investigators believed the material had been dumped, though who did it was unknown.

Calls came in around 4 p.m. reporting a spill in the McGregor Industrial Park, off U.S. Highway 64, in southwestern Cary. Hazmat teams remained on the scene over an hour.

The liquid spread for about 50 feet near the Saturn dealership, town spokeswoman Susan Moran said, and was about 2 inches deep. An unknown amount of the liquid went into a creek.

Even before the material had been ruled non-hazardous, however, officials said Cary's major water sources were expected to remain unaffected because beavers had dammed up the creek.