A state of emergency was declared yesterday Saturday at Los Angeleswhere firefighters continue for days to fight the flames in a warehouse, from which black smoke continues to rise.
The fire broke out on Wednesday at noon in a frozen food warehouse with an area of 46,400 square meterswhere soundproofing foam, a possible ammonia leak and melted solar panels complicated the work of firefighters, according to authorities.
The state of emergency will “allow the city to mobilize the resources it needs,” Mayor Karen Bass explained in a statement.
“The smell of smoke has spread throughout most of the city and we encourage citizens to limit their exposure as much as possible“, noted the Los Angeles Fire Department via Facebook.
The fire has been contained to the warehouse, but has not been extinguished and there is smoke and the smell of burnt plastic.
Residents of the Boyle Heights neighborhood in East Los Angeles were initially advised to stay indoors, close windows and avoid breathing outside air.
Authorities have opened 24-hour drop-in centers for those who cannot avoid the smoke.
Anyway the fire department has now proceeded to withdraw its recommendationsconsidering that the smoke is no more toxic than that in ordinary building fires.
Air quality officials had issued warnings to residents to avoid outdoor activities.
The municipal councilor Isabel Juradowhich represents the sector of the city where the fire occurred expressed concern about the long-term health consequences of its fellow citizens.
“Residents have been forced to endure days of smoke, stay-at-home orders, disruption to their daily lives” and there are “ongoing questions about the consequences to their health and well-being,” he said in a statement released yesterday.
With information from APE-MPE and AFP
