Emergency crews are working urgently to prevent a possible biohazard crisis after a massive warehouse fire in Los Angeles left the structure at risk of collapse.
Firefighters have been battling flames at Lineage Logistics’ 500,000-square-foot facility in Boyle Heights since Wednesday afternoon, using large volumes of water that officials say have gradually weakened the building’s stability.
Stored inside are 85 million pounds of frozen bread and meat products that are now beginning to decompose, raising concerns from Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore about a potential biohazard emergency.
“The food’s not savable, unfortunately,” Chief Moore said at a Saturday news conference, according to FOX 11.
“What we’re dealing with now is 85 million pounds of food that’s about to go bad and to spoil… It’s a biohazard emergency and that’s why we’ve called out to the state.”
The escalating situation prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency Saturday night, clearing the way for Los Angeles to receive additional support and resources.
“It’s not just like an open warehouse, it’s giant refrigerators that are as big as rooms,” fire department spokesperson Jamie Stewart told the Los Angeles Daily News.
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Although the fire has continued intermittently since Wednesday, the building has stayed relatively cool at about 45 degrees. Moore warned, however, that the temperature will not hold indefinitely and that the next stage could be extremely “unpleasant.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s potentially dangerous; it would be unpleasant,” the LAFD chief said, according to NBC 4. “It would be a horrible odor, but what we’re looking at is what those gases would produce or create.
“We’ve already mitigated the hazardous materials portion by removing the ammonia and other chemicals that were used as refrigerants … now, it’s really what’s going to happen when this food starts decomposing?”
The LAFD is now planning on how to remove the millions of pounds of spoiled meat, but underscored that the situation “remains a complex, long-duration incident that will require sustained operations.”
Emergency personnel are also monitoring the large plumes of smoke that continue to impact the area — fortunately, air monitoring shows no additional toxic chemicals or hazards.
However, residents are encouraged to limit exposure outside.
The fire started around Wednesday afternoon, but it’s still not clear what caused the building to go up in flames.
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