Last of the Maywood fire evacuees can go home

The last of the families displaced by that massive industrial fire in Maywood last month can finally go home. Los Angeles County health officials say they’ve eliminated the threat from toxic metals released by the fire.

In all, 43 households were evacuated from the north side of 52nd Street between Maywood and Everett Avenues next to the industrial park that burned on June 14th.

The nearly 30-hour long fire was so toxic in part because some of the roughly 10,000 pounds of magnesium stored at the metal recycler Panda International exploded when firefighters poured water on it.  

Magnesium fumes can cause headaches, fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Multiple agencies dealt with the blaze's aftermath, including the County Department of Public Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the L.A. County Fire Department.

Residents were first evacuated to a Red Cross shelter at the Maywood YMCA and then to temporary housing at motels.

The EPA tested soil, air and dust at a number of homes on the street. It removed dangerous metals from outside of 17 homes and inside 11.

By the numbers:

• 43 households — more than 200 people — notified they can return home
• Soil sampling done on 24 properties; 17 cleaned up
• Indoor air and dust sampling was done on 50 structures; 11 homes were cleaned up.

County health officials allowed about 10 households to return last week.

Five families from the south side of the street also relocated because of existing health problems. Officials say their homes are safe too but they remain in temporary housing for now.

The cleanup of the burned-out industrial park has not yet begun. To protect residents and residential yards from residual ash and other toxics, officials installed a fence with fabric between the burned out area and the homes. They also applied a sealant to the debris and covered it with fabric to keep ash from going airborne.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, according to the L.A. County Fire Department.

The owner of the metal recycler, Da Xiong Pan, is already in trouble. He's been charged with five felony counts of allegedly violating the state’s hazardous waste control laws, according to the Department of Toxic Substances Control. Pan is scheduled to go to court to face those charges on Friday.