IRWINDALE>> The city Monday asked a Superior Court judge to halt operations at the Huy Fong Foods factory, which produces the popular Sriracha hot chili sauce, according to a source with knowledge of the litigation.

The lawsuit — and request for injunction — follows several complaints of smells emanating from the plant on North Azusa Canyon Road, the source said.

Irwindale City Councilman H. Manuel Ortiz said he’s received “numerous” calls from residents all over the city complaining about the smells.

“We’re hoping to work with the company, with the manufacturing company, to minimize the smell or to completely get rid of that smell,” Ortiz said.

Several residents showed up to a City Council meeting last week to complain about the odors, according to the city clerk’s office.

Ortiz said the Council asked city staff to work with Huy Fong officials.

“I’m sure that we’ll find a solution and hopefully it’ll be soon,” he said.

Huy Fong officials could not be immediately reached for comment Monday night.

The City Council held a special closed session meeting last week to address potential litigation with Huy Fong Foods.

The public nuisance complaint filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court demands the company halt operations the facility until it no longer produces the “strong, offensive chili odor,” CBS News Los Angeles reported on its website Monday evening.

“The odors are so strong and offensive as to have caused residents to move outdoor activities indoors and even to vacate their residences temporarily to seek relief from the odors,” according to the suit, CBS reported.

Citing the suit, CBS reported Huy Fong officials were at first cooperating with the city, but talks broke down last week after company officials denied a smell existed.

Huy Fong opened its $40 million, 650,000-square-foot factory this summer. The building was constructed in 2011 with the help of city of Irwindale redevelopment funds.

The hot chili sauce with the green lid and a roster on its bottle is hugely popular. The company sold 20 million bottles last year, according to Businessweek.

The sauce is sold in every U.S. state and every continent across the globe.

The first-ever Sriracha Festival held in L.A. this weekend drew more than 800 people.

Huy Fong has operated out of two buildings in Rosemead since the late 1980s.

Complaints of smells from the factory has been ongoing, records show.

Irwindale’s Director of Community Development and Planning Ken Lee told the Council at a Dec. 12 meeting, residents have complained about “irritated throats and burning sensations in their eyes,” allegedly caused by the odors from the factory.

He said Huy Fong representatives were very receptive to the concerns and contacted the Air Quality Management District, which recommended they install an air filtration system to prevent additional issues.

The 12-week chili harvest season begins in the late August or early September.