Updated

Updated · KABC-TV · Jun 20

Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Sends Smoke Miles Away for 3rd Day as LAFD Tackles 85 Million Pounds

Updated

Updated · KABC-TV · Jun 20

Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Sends Smoke Miles Away for 3rd Day as LAFD Tackles 85 Million Pounds

Q: What invisible toxic gases from rotting food now pose a long-term health risk to residents?

The main invisible gases of concern from the rotting food are hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, with methane and some volatile organic compounds also possible as decomposition continues. Experts on waste decomposition say spoiled meat and bread can release hydrogen sulfide, the gas associated with a rotten-egg smell, and ammonia, a strong irritant. Those gases are the most directly tied to decaying organic material and can cause headaches, nausea, eye and throat irritation, and breathing problems. For nearby residents, repeated exposure is especially concerning for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Longer-term risk is not limited to odor. Decomposing waste can also generate methane and non-methane volatile organic compounds, including hazardous compounds such as benzene or vinyl chloride in some waste settings. Public-health guidance generally treats hydrogen sulfide and ammonia as the immediate community exposure concern, while VOCs and fine smoke particles from the fire add to the broader air-quality risk. So, the clearest answer is that hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are the key toxic gases now feared from the rotting food, with methane and potentially harmful VOCs adding to the longer-term air-quality concern. Residents in affected areas should follow shelter guidance, avoid outdoor exposure during odor or smoke events, and seek medical advice if symptoms persist.

3 articles · Updated · KABC-TV · Jun 20

A large smoke column kept rising over Boyle Heights on Saturday, with the warehouse fire still smoldering three days after it erupted and drifting into neighborhoods miles from the site.
LAFD said the cold-storage building is unusually hard to extinguish because corrugated steel walls are packed with dense foam, creating a giant freezer-like structure where the fire continues to burn.
Chief Jaime Moore said crews have already mitigated the ammonia hazard and are now confronting a biohazard risk from 85 million pounds of spoiling frozen food; helicopters continued water drops.
Air monitoring by LAFD, county hazmat teams and AQMD found no toxic chemicals beyond normal structure-fire smoke, so no evacuation or shelter-in-place order was issued, though two shelters were opened and residents were urged to limit smoke exposure.