All three shifts of Ottawa firefighters and Mayor Dan Aussem have toured the section of South Towne Mall used by Lotz Logistics to store potassium permanganate and other chemicals from Carus Chemicals LLC in an effort to ensure all combustible materials have been removed.

Aussem said at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting Lotz is renting an additional 8,000 square foot of the building to remove all the wood framing in the building. Lotz Logistics is working to remove hazards from the building.

The council addressed the item as residents have asked questions about the safety of the storage space.

“I’ve been in contact with Ryan Peterson from Lotz and he said they’re using about 47,000 square foot in the building and there was 8,000 square foot not being used,” Aussem said. “He thought it would be better for them to just lease the entire space so no one else would be next to him. It should be a pretty secure sight.”

Carus LLC said on Tuesday it finished moving all Tier II chemical materials out of its Apollo warehouse in La Salle and into the South Towne Mall in Ottawa. The La Salle warehouse was not involved in the Jan. 11 fire, but residents asked questions about its security and safety in a residential neighborhood following the fire.

Aussem said he is touring the facility with representatives from both Lotz Logistics and Carus LLC on Wednesday.