Tonnes of rotting food from vast LA warehouse fire creates unbearable stench
Residents of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, are suffering from an unbearable stench caused by 85 million pounds of rotting food left in a warehouse following a fire. Local businesses are struggling as the cleanup process faces delays and public health scrutiny.
Why it matters
The incident illustrates the severe public health and economic impacts of industrial accidents on local communities and the challenges of large-scale environmental cleanup.
Figure caption, Watch: "Smells really bad" - Residents endure rotting food stench after warehouse fire
On any typical day, Alexis Sicairos and his girlfriend have a line of patrons waiting to order a banana buzz latte or a cloud matcha at their Los Angeles coffee stand. But now, the street corner where they sit is largely empty.
The reason is clear the second you walk into the neighbourhood: it stinks.
On 17 June, a fire destroyed a large cold-storage warehouse in the area, leaving behind some 85 million lb (39 million kg) of rotting food, including beef, pork, poultry and seafood.
Nearly two months later, residents of Boyle Heights say the clean-up has taken a lot longer than expected, and they've grown frustrated with the pungent odour hovering over the area.
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