Boyle Heights cold‑storage warehouse fire sparks health crisis and city demands

A fire that broke out on June 17 at the Lineage Logistics refrigerated warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, left millions of pounds of rotting food inside the building, producing thick smoke and a pervasive, putrid odor. Residents have gathered to demand that the facility be shut down permanently, citing health hazards and the impossibility of outdoor activity for children and elders.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, County Supervisor Hilda Solis and City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado sent a formal letter to Lineage CEO Greg Lehmkuhl demanding immediate remediation steps, including provision of temporary housing, a smoke‑and‑toxin cleanup program, funding for mobile health clinics, detailed removal manifests, odor‑control plans and a multilingual hotline. The city also announced mobile health clinics to offer respiratory screenings and other basic health services for affected residents.