Eighteen days after the fire began at a Lineage cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, city officials are demanding that the company provide temporary housing for residents affected by smoke and toxic air caused by the blaze.
In the days following the fire, many residents criticized Mayor Karen Bass for refusing to order an evacuation and instead issuing only a shelter-in-place order.
“There is no evidence that an evacuation is necessary,” Bass said during the first days of the incident.
As the days passed, however, more residents began reporting health problems, primarily respiratory symptoms, raising concerns about prolonged exposure to smoke and poor air quality.
Last Saturday, Mayor Bass, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado sent a letter to the company outlining several demands, including temporary housing for affected residents.
“Provide immediate, temporary housing for Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles residents impacted by the recent fire. Acceptable options may include hotel rooms, short term rentals, and corporate housing provided to households located within the disaster perimeter, including all households affected by the current odor, vector, and other issues. The company should immediately provide these temporary housing options at no cost to affected residents and maintain them until a safe, stable, and longer term housing solution has been secured by your company for all affected residents,” the letter states.
City and county leaders also sent a strongly worded letter to Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage Inc., accusing the company of failing to provide comprehensive, real time data about the amount of rotting food and debris being removed from the site.
The letter was sent one day after planned demolition work at the facility located at 1400 South Los Palos Street was halted. Company officials said the work was paused to preserve evidence while investigators continue to determine the cause of the fire.
According to the letter, Mayor Bass “is fully prepared to deploy the full measure of her executive power to champion and protect the community of Boyle Heights, as well as unincorporated East Los Angeles, in partnership with Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.”
Bass, Solis, and Jurado also demanded that the company partner with an experienced relocation or housing provider to secure adequate long term housing for affected residents, including accommodations for pets and service animals, while allowing families to remain connected to their jobs, schools, healthcare providers, and other essential aspects of daily life.
The officials also called for a smoke and toxin remediation program at no cost to renters, homeowners, and business owners, as well as funding for community health centers providing mobile medical clinics in the area, including Oscar Romero Clinic, St. John’s, Via Care, JWCH Institute Inc., AltaMed, El Proyecto del Barrio, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
In addition, they requested that Lineage establish a community notification schedule with at least 48 hours advance notice before major hauling activities, demolition phases, or any operations expected to generate dust, odor, noise, or heavy traffic.
The letter also asks the company to establish a dedicated multilingual hotline and claims center to provide residents and businesses with a single point of contact for information, claims, and case management throughout the recovery process.
City leaders further requested that Lineage executives and contractors attend community meetings to provide updates and respond directly to questions and concerns from residents and business owners. The first two meetings are scheduled for July 6 and July 9.
“To date, despite many requests, we have yet to receive detailed and complete plans,” the letter states.
Officials are demanding a comprehensive schedule for removing damaged materials, with full interior clearance completed within 90 days. They also requested a daily manifest detailing all materials removed, including estimated weight, category, disposal destination, and truck decontamination procedures.
The city is also asking for detailed odor and pest control plans, a fire water runoff management plan to prevent contaminated water from reaching storm drains or waterways, and a comprehensive air quality monitoring program with daily reporting.
In addition, officials want detailed plans for removal of hazardous materials, including asbestos, oversight by a certified industrial hygienist or licensed environmental professional, and published operating hours for truck hauling.
As of Saturday, Lineage representatives had not responded to requests for comment.
