Maywood wants to help community after recent explosion

If you ask Geraldo Torres he'll tell you the explosion felt like an earthquake. He lives at the corner of Everett and 52nd in Maywood. A matter of blocks from the explosion and fire two weeks ago that rocked the neighborhood.

Karen Raye, who lives in the neighborhood described the 2:30am blast by saying "I've never seen anything like this before." No one really had. The fire was at a metal recycling plant. Stored in the facility was magnesium. Lots of it. When firefighters tried to douse the flames with water the fire flared and the water caused the magnesium to blow.

Since the fire, clean up crews have been using heavy-duty vacuuming equipment to suck up the magnesium-tainted ash.

Back at the intersection of Everett and 52nd officials opened a trailer-turned-community information center to help those who have been displaced from their homes. The center will be open from noon-to 8pm each day.

LA County Public Health Deputy Director Angelo Bellomo says, "Our first priority is to insure that the evacuated residents can safely return home as soon as possible."

The fire remains under investigation.

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