Bass Vows Accountability As Odor Lingers At Boyle Heights Warehouse

BOYLE HEIGHTS, CA — Mayor Karen Bass said Monday that those responsible for the massive Boyle Heights warehouse fire will be held accountable as a foul odor from millions of pounds of rotting food spread through the neighborhood and the city prepared to transition the emergency into a lengthy cleanup and recovery effort.

The Los Angeles Fire Department was expected to return control of the fire-ravaged Lineage cold-storage warehouse to its operator Monday, allowing the company to begin removing an estimated 85 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility while city officials shifted their focus to environmental remediation and community recovery.

Bass also announced plans to issue an executive order aimed at mobilizing additional resources for Boyle Heights.

"Environmental hazards from industrial disasters too often fall on communities like Boyle Heights," Bass said in a statement.

"Those responsible will be held accountable, and the City is working with an array of organizations to provide resources to the families and business owners who desperately need them. The ongoing recovery and remediation will be shaped by the people who call this community home," Bass added.

The LAFD has implemented an incident action plan that includes deploying crews around the clock to maintain a "firewatch" and respond if significant flare-ups occur. The crews will work on a rotating schedule.

The property owner has contracted with a private fire company that is using a water cannon to keep smoldering areas in the center of the building from flaring up. The company is expected to remain on site throughout the remediation process to respond to any hot spots as needed.

LAFD's Certified Unified Program Agency will remain involved throughout the remediation process to oversee the removal of hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries.

Although the blaze that erupted June 17 at 1400 S. Los Palos St. was knocked down a week later, City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado said the crisis is far from over for Boyle Heights residents.

"As 85 million pounds of spoiled food are removed from this site, my priority is making sure the cleanup is safe, transparent, and accountable to the people of Boyle Heights -- not just to the agencies or the company responsible for this property," Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said in a statement.

"Residents deserve clear testing results, strong public health protections, real resources, and a recovery process shaped by the community most impacted," the councilwoman added.

Firefighters saved roughly half of the nearly 500,000-square-foot warehouse, although the entire facility sustained extensive smoke and water damage. The section most heavily damaged by the fire was largely dismantled during firefighting operations and will likely be demolished, officials said.

City officials said the food waste is being transported to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties. Trucks hauling the food waste will avoid residential streets by using existing hauling routes already used by a nearby recycling facility, according to the Mayor's Office.

City officials said the goal is to minimize the impact on surrounding neighborhoods. Lineage estimates it will need to remove about 5,000 truckloads of food waste from the site.

In a statement Thursday, Lineage officials said the company has already hired Signal Restoration Services, "an industry-leading cleanup firm," to spearhead cleaning efforts at the site.

"To move forward as quickly as possible, we urge the government agencies involved to promptly address any permitting or other approvals necessary to begin cleanup."

Lineage noted that no hazardous materials are stored at the facility, and "robust plans for disinfection, odor control and pest control will be implemented."

"We are exploring multiple avenues to minimize disruption to the community, including the use of water-tight trailers and containers to transport waste offsite," according to the company.

LAFD Chief Jaime Moore noted there is still substantial work remaining to overhaul the structure -- most notably disposing of the frozen food that was in the warehouse.

City officials noted there are ongoing efforts related to odor mitigation, pest control, air quality testing, stormwater and groundwater testing, and ensuring drinking water remains safe.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, but Lineage officials have said they believe the fire started while a subcontractor working for Altus Power, which owns the solar array on top of the building, was conducting tests on the panels.

Altus officials issued a statement saying no cause of the fire has yet been determined and that the company was cooperating with investigators.