Sriracha war cools: Irwindale says factory no longer a nuisance

The Sriracha war appears to be cooling down.

The Irwindale City Council voted Wednesday night to drop its declaration that the hot sauce plant was a public nuisance.

Sriracha maker Huy Fong Foods and Irwindale have been feuding in the courts and in headlines since Irwindale residents began to complain of a spicy odor last year. Chief Executive David Tran has repeatedly asked city officials to visit the factory, to no avail.

But on Tuesday, City Manager John Davidson, Mayor Mark Breceda and Councilman Julian Miranda donned hairnets and toured the plant with Tran as members of the news media swarmed.

Both parties discussed a possible solution in a closed-door meeting afterward, but no specifics were offered. Two representatives from Gov. Jerry Brown’s office sat in on the meeting and tour, they said, as observers.

As the conflict drags on into the ninth month, politicians from all over the United States have also rushed to associate themselves with Tran, whose personal narrative lends itself to pro-business and anti-regulation agendas. Tran, who said he was willing to move the factory, has also been wooed by municipalities across the nation, especially in Texas.

News of the hot sauce detente was first reported by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and ABC7.