Residents of Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, are enduring a pervasive stench of rotting meat and vegetables after a massive warehouse fire destroyed half of the facility's 85 million pounds of frozen food, leaving roughly 40 million pounds to spoil. The fire at the Lineage cold storage warehouse, which burned for a week, was extinguished on Wednesday, but the aftermath has brought new health and environmental concerns.
Health Complaints and Unbearable Odor
Kelvin Vasquez, who lives one block from the 500,000 sq ft warehouse, said he has suffered from a sore throat, headache, dizziness, and nausea since the fire began on 17 June. However, his primary concern now is the smell of decomposing food. “It’s pretty much something like a dead body,” Vasquez said. “Like a dead animal.” The odor has become a major issue for the community, with residents reporting difficulty breathing and persistent discomfort.
Cleanup Challenges
The firefighting efforts used millions of gallons of water, creating a polluted stream of debris, burnt insulation foam, and bags of once-frozen food items. Cleanup operations are now the responsibility of the property owner and Lineage Logistics, the lessee. Lineage stated on Friday that it had hired a cleanup firm, but neither the company nor the firm responded to inquiries about the timeline. Los Angeles health services officials told the Guardian that the city is unaware of any plans for disposal of the spoiled food.
Cause of the Fire and Blame
Two companies lease space at the warehouse: Lineage and Altus Power, which operates solar panels on the rooftop. Lineage has blamed Altus Power for the fire, claiming it started during tests on the solar array. Altus Power countered that the cause “has yet to be determined.” Notably, a similar fire occurred at the same warehouse in 2024 when solar panels caught fire, though the cause was never determined. Vasquez, who has lived nearby for 20 years, called the property a “ticking bomb” after that incident.
Previous Incidents and Legal Actions
In 2024, a Lineage warehouse in Finley, Washington, burned for 60 days, causing health complaints among residents. Lineage is still involved in civil lawsuits related to that fire. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to “hold those responsible fully accountable” and plans to sign an executive order to mobilize resources for cleanup.
