Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced a motion Tuesday to have the city review its enforcement of the safe handling of combustible materials following Saturday’s explosion in downtown Los Angeles that injured 12 city firefighters.
“My prayers are with these injured firefighters and their colleagues that were deployed to the Boyd Street incident. I wish all a full recovery,” said Rodriguez, who is also the chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee. “As we’ve seen with this tragic event and other similar incidents across the nation, the improper storage and use of highly flammable chemicals present a grave danger to our community and we must enhance safety protocols to prevent these incidents from happening again.”
Rodriguez’s motion would direct the Los Angeles fire and police departments, the city attorney and the department of building and safety to review the city’s investigative and enforcement efforts of hazardous combustible material and provide recommendations to prevent injurious incidents.
It was reported that butane canisters were found at the scene of the Saturday fire, a one-story warehouse facility operated by Smoke Tokes, a distributor and wholesaler supplier of smoking and vaping products.
Butane is a highly flammable solvent that can be used to produce oil for cannabis products. Though the cause of the explosion is still under investigation, Rodriguez said the recent incident merits further examination of the city’s current regulations and practices.