‘Like a dead body’: after warehouse fire, LA residents say air thick with smell of rotting food

Residents in Los Angeles's Boyle Heights neighborhood are complaining of a pervasive smell of rotting food following a massive warehouse fire that raged for a week. The blaze, which was finally extinguished on Wednesday, has left an estimated 40 million pounds of frozen food to spoil.

The fire at the facility near downtown Los Angeles prompted officials to declare a state of emergency and issue evacuation orders for the immediate vicinity due to worsening air quality. Thick black smoke billowed into the air for days as firefighters battled the intense flames.

With the fire now out, the focus has shifted to the cleanup operation. The sheer volume of spoiled food presents a significant environmental and logistical challenge for the area. Residents have described the lingering odor as overwhelming, with some likening it to the smell of decay.

The warehouse reportedly stored 85 million pounds of frozen food, and the fire consumed roughly half of that inventory. The incident highlights the potential consequences of such large-scale fires, particularly concerning the disposal of compromised goods and the impact on surrounding communities.

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Like a dead body