As Boyle Heights neighbors continue to complain about the overwhelmingly foul smell near a burned warehouse building and rodents infesting the areas, Los Angeles city confirmed Monday that crews began to remove the food trash from inside the facility.
The fire, which broke out inside the 500,000-square-foot cold food storage building on June 17, was knocked down after burning for eight days. But the aftermath has been unbearable for neighbors: the toxic air that surrounded the neighborhood is raising concerns of pollution. Also, the 85 million pounds of food that was rotting inside the storage has caused a stench as well as attracted rodents.
While pledging to hold the warehouse owners accountable for the ongoing recovery and remediation, Bass issued two executive orders to streamline the cleanup process and increase city resources to support neighbors, workers and businesses in the area.
The city will also deploy mobile health screening and mental health stations under the executive orders. And LA officials are considering legal options for cot recovery while strengthening environmental oversight of industrial facilities, the mayor’s office said.
LA Fire Chief Jaime Moore also said his department will take full control of the warehouse to make sure that the fire would not reignite again, further causing harm to the community.
The LA County Department of Public Health also confirmed that it’s been receiving reports of odors related to the fire and spoiled food as well as complaints about rodents.
“The volume of food involved is substantial. When refrigeration is lost, food can spoil, produce strong odors, and attract pests if it is not promptly removed,” the health department said in a statement.
Regulatory agencies will work with the warehouse owner to clean up and dispose of food trash.
Regarding the reports of rodent activity, the health department said, “once the building has been cleared for entry,” its staff can go inside and inspect the facility.
Residents who observe persistent odors should report them to South Coast AQMD at 1-800-CUT-SMOG (1-800-288-7664), which tracks and investigates odor complaints, the health department said.