Workers in Boyle Heights persisted on Thursday to remove millions of pounds of decaying food, aiming to restore the fire-affected cold-storage facility and the adjacent community to normalcy.
However, just a block away, around 50 residents and community advocates — who had faced days of thick smoke and now foul odors — assert they don’t want to revert to how things were prior to the fire at the Lineage-operated refrigerated warehouse.
“Living like this is extremely difficult for us,” remarked Alma Lagunas, a resident and community advocate. Lineage “must clean up and never return.”
Behind her, the crowd shouted in Spanish, “Que se vayan!” (“They should leave!”)
It remains uncertain how long the cleanup will take in the Boyle Heights area, where large warehouses and other industrial facilities sit next to homes. Lineage did not provide immediate comments on Thursday.
At the gathering on the corner of La Puerta Street and Olympic Boulevard, residents recounted their struggles with thick smoke after the fire ignited on June 17. They now claim the stench from the 85 million pounds of rotting food inside the refrigeration warehouse is forcing them and their children to stay indoors.
“My boys enjoy sports, but they can’t play outside,” Lagunas stated.
Soledad Martinez, a 77-year-old resident who has lived in the area for 45 years, mentioned that the unpleasant fumes and uncertainty have rendered life intolerable in her neighborhood.
Living about four blocks from the Lineage warehouse, she described the odor as sometimes reminiscent of burnt chicken and feathers, while at other times it’s as if she has her head inside a neglected trash can.
“In all my years here, I’ve never encountered something this dreadful,” Martinez expressed. “My question is, when will this end? We can’t continue living like this.”
On Thursday, contractors at the expansive Lineage warehouse had already set up fans and misters around the charred remains of the building, which had its walls demolished to allow firefighters to spray water inside.
Drooping containers and bags of food sat on metal racks within. Contractors were seen erecting long white coverings to replace the missing walls.
In a prior statement, Lineage estimated that about 5,000 truckloads of rotting food needed to be extracted from the premises. The time required for this task was not disclosed.
Lineage Chief Executive Greg Lehmkuhl mentioned the company had operated in the community for over 20 years and that it was dedicated to cleaning up “until normalcy is restored.”
Nevertheless, some residents stress that isn’t their desire.
“The cleanup must be executed swiftly,” stated Maria Jauregui, a 62-year-old resident living about four houses away from the Lineage site.
She indicated that she cares for her elderly father, who cannot go outside, communicate with neighbors, or relax by their home’s orange tree due to the odor. She recently visited the emergency room due to breathing difficulties, she reported.
“We don’t want Lineage to rebuild now or ever again,” she declared.
Los Angeles city officials have indicated they will hold responsible parties accountable for the fire and its aftermath, taking measures to provide resources to the local community.
City leaders have demanded the waste within the warehouse be cleared within 45 days.
On Wednesday, Mayor Karen Bass’ office announced the launch of several mobile health clinics in Boyle Heights in response to the fire. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, the clinics do not require appointments and can offer respiratory health screenings, oxygen-level evaluations, asthma checks, blood pressure assessments, basic screenings, and evaluations for eye and skin irritation.
Bass’ office did not respond to inquiries regarding some residents’ insistence on permanently closing the Lineage warehouse. A spokesperson stated that the mayor is committed to improving conditions in the affected neighborhoods.
“Mayor Bass has emphasized that community input must guide every aspect of the recovery process,” the statement elaborated. “She will not endorse a recovery that merely reinstates prior circumstances. She is dedicated to ensuring that this community is safer moving forward than it was before the fire.”
Nonetheless, some residents on Thursday asserted that city officials and Lineage must take additional actions.
“I can’t eat because the odor lingers in my mouth,” stated Brenda Wenger, a 56-year-old resident.
