BOYLE HEIGHTS (CNS) – Cleanup, remediation and recovery efforts continued Tuesday at the massive Boyle Heights warehouse fire as the stench from millions of pounds of rotting food spread through the neighborhood and city officials and neighborhood residents look to hold those responsible for the fire and its aftermath accountable.
Lineage Logistics, the warehouse’s tenant, has begun the colossal task of removing an estimated 85 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility while city officials shifted their focus to environmental remediation and community recovery.
The company issued a statement, Monday evening, detailing their priorities and stating the smell and pest control are at the top of their to-do list.
“The smell. This is a top priority,” said Lineage in their statement. “Perimeter and internal misting systems are being installed. Deodorizers are being applied to debris as it is removed from the building. We are also monitoring odor conditions around the clock and adjusting in real time based on wind and weather conditions. We will not let up until it is contained.”
The company also said it was aggressively handling pest control.
“Exposed food draws wildlife and pests, and we are working with Orkin and Signal to address it,” Lineage announced. “We are actively developing a plan to continue to manage pest issues in and around the perimeter of the warehouse.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department was expected to return control of the fire-ravaged Lineage cold-storage warehouse to its operator Monday, but that has been delayed until later this week as fire crews must remain on site to fight hot spots, possible flare-ups and the still-smoldering flames deep inside the building.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday announced two executive orders aimed at speeding up remediation and recovery efforts, as well as mobilizing additional resources for Boyle Heights.
“Those who know Boyle Heights know that this fire did not happen in a vacuum,” Bass said. “Boyle Heights deserves transparency and accountability.
“These Emergency Executive Orders will mobilize additional resources that impacted residents, workers, and business owners need, implement aggressive oversight over the remediation process and long-term environmental monitoring, and ensure this community gets the answers it deserves,” Bass added.
The first order directs the establishment of a community resource center, an increase in the deployment of buses for Boyle Heights and East LA, free transit services for the affected area, as well as for LAFD, LA Sanitation, and Department of Water and Power to continue monitoring the incident.
LAFD is expected to report within 90 days on the status of ongoing investigations as to the source or cause of the fire, and request that the Environmental Protection Agency initiate a federal-local dual audit of the facility’s risk management program.
The second order establishes a Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command for coordinating remediation oversight, monitoring, and enforcing compliance, and to conduct community meetings to hear from impacted residents. It also directs the city attorney to pursue, where appropriate, all available legal rights to compel abatement and remedies.
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,” according to the company.
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 when the fire erupted.
Altus officials issued a statement saying no cause of the fire has yet been determined and that the company was cooperating with investigators.
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