2 Police Officers Treated After Inhaling Fumes

Fumes generated by an ammonia leak from a Monrovia meatpacking plant’s refrigeration system left two police officers hospitalized Monday.

The two Monrovia police officers, who inhaled the fumes when they entered Kruse Meats in 200 block of Kruse Avenue, were treated at a nearby hospital for respiratory problems and released later in the day, according to authorities. The Police Department declined to identify the officers.

“We found heavy concentration of ammonia inside the business and these officers were the first on the scene,” said Sam DiGiovanna, a Monrovia Fire Department battalion chief.

The Monrovia Fire Department, assisted by the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit, evacuated 45 workers from the meat plant and nearby businesses, DiGiovanna said. More than 50 firefighters responded to the area, which has several light industries, he said.

Kruse Meat officials said the ammonia escaped from the meat company’s refrigeration system about 7 a.m., but declined to provide further details. Kruse officials were allowed to return to the plant by noon.

Monrovia fire officials said the plant’s refrigeration system holds about 400 gallons of liquid ammonia, and Monday’s leak was first time they have had to respond to such a problem at the facility.