COLUMBUS – A fire at a West Side cold-storage warehouse nearly a month ago is still raising a stink. Literally.
The fire at Dick Cold Storage August 19 damaged 70 refrigerated semi-trailers storing ham and the hams and other perishables emitted foul odors into surrounding neighborhoods and attracted flies, mosquitoes and rats to the site, Columbus Public Health spokesman Jose Rodriguez said.
Officials with the Columbus Department of Development’s Code Enforcement Division, Columbus Public Health and the Environmental Protection Agency are keeping an eye on cleanup efforts, Rodriguez said.
“While there is no immediate danger to the residents, we are working to prevent any further impact to the neighborhood affected,” said Dr. Teresa Long, health commissioner.
The property owners have hired crews that have been removing the perishables, separating of fire-burned debris from food, a process Rodriguez described as “tedious,” and are finding some pockets with additional food debris while the EPA continues to monitor for chemical spills or other hazards, he said.
The health department sprayed the area for flies and mosquitoes last week and was scheduled to do so again Tuesday, Rodriguez said,
He says the city is recommending to the facility owners that they hire a contractor to manage rat control efforts.