‘Putrid odor” descends on Simi neighborhood

If you've lived in Simi Valley long enough, you know our hills and open spaces are usually a blessing—until they're not. This week, folks in the Big Sky neighborhood got a rude awakening when a rotten smell, strong enough to make some think wildlife had perished nearby, settled over the area. The culprit? A shipment of decomposing food waste trucked in from a fire-damaged Los Angeles warehouse, dumped at a local facility, and left to stew in the heat.

It's a strange and unsettling reminder that even our quiet corner of the 805 isn't immune to the ripple effects of disasters elsewhere. For those affected, the stench is more than an inconvenience—it's a quality-of-life issue that raises questions about how waste from outside our community is handled here. As the Simi Valley Acorn first reported, residents are understandably frustrated, and they deserve answers. Let's hope the responsible parties address this quickly, before the next hot day makes things even harder to stomach.