Toxic Maywood chemical fire rages on, hundreds remain barred from homes

MAYWOOD >> More than 300 residents remained barred from their homes Wednesday as firefighters struggled to snuff out a chemical fire that tore through a Maywood metal-recycling plant, sending toxic fumes across Southe Califoia.

The magnesium-fueled fire has raged since Tuesday from a pair of commercial buildings that threatened nearby homes within the small city between Bell and Veon in southeast Los Angeles County.

• PHOTOS: See the Maywood magnesium fire that is spreading odors across Southe Califoia

“We have to get this fire smothered,” said Deputy Chief John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, during a moing news conference. “We have to eliminate the smoke.

“If we don’t do that, we can’t let the people repopulate and get back into their homes.”

The three-alarm blaze was reported at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at a warehouse that serves Gemini Plastic Enterprises in the 3700 block of Fruitland Avenue, just a few miles east of the Long Beach (710) Freeway.

• RELATED STORY: Smell that smell? It’s from buing magnesium in Maywood warehouse fire

The fire ripped through two commercial buildings, sparking a series of powerful explosions that lit up the night sky and knocked out power for thousands of residents as more than 300 residents were forced to evacuate their homes.

The resulting smoke caused complaints of an acrid stench as far as 30 miles away in the San Feando Valley. The air district later issued a smoke advisory.

• VIDEO: See HUGE explosion at Maywood warehouse fire

County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said arriving crews found flames shooting through the roofs of two structures, one of which was a metal-recycling plant. Crews began pouring water on the flames, but the oxygen from the water created a chemical reaction with the buing metals, producing what one fire official described as “fireballs” that set off ferocious explosions.

A cadre of exotic metals – magnesium, copper, zinc, lead – may have also contributed to the blaze.

More than 125 county firefighters joined those from nearby Veon to prevent the fire from spreading to other businesses and nearby homes. Both commercial buildings were completely gutted.

“It could have bued down the whole block,” Trip said of the fire that had shot in three directions. “It was spreading from building to building. The people that were evacuated -- that wasn’t for health reasons. There was fear that the fire would bu down their homes.”

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A Red Cross shelter was set up for 138 oveight evacuees at the Maywood YMCA at 4801 58th St.

“It’ll be an extended evacuation,” said Sgt. Burton Brink of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, on Wednesday. “They’ll be out of their homes, probably the majority of the day. We are working with homeowners to get the medications and paperwork they need.

“We’re trying to take care of the public’s safety.”

Firefighters said they were working with hazmat experts and public health officials Wednesday to concoct a so-called extinguishment plan for the buing chemicals.

They had hoped the fire would bu itself out, Blaze said. But by moing there were still an estimated 10,000 pounds of unbued magnesium at the complex.

He said firefighters were working to obtain a special material known as Metal X that could smother the magnesium-fueled fire. The material was rare and difficult to obtain in Califoia.

Meanwhile, officials from the South Coast Air Management District and the Los Angeles County Health Department had set up portable air monitors throughout the neighborhood. Tripp said they are testing the smoke to determine the hazard of the chemicals compounds.

The cause of the fire as well is under investigation, as are the business practices and potential code violations of the metals recycling business. Last week, firefighters said they invested a small chemical reaction at the plant.

No one was injured then, or in this week’s blaze.

“We’re going to make sure people are accountable, if there were things that should have been done by the business owner,” said the deputy chief. “There is a very robust investigation going on with state and county officials.”