California responds to Lineage warehouse fire

As of Monday afternoon, crews are still fighting the massive Lineage Logistics warehouse fire that erupted in the Boyle Heights neighborhood on June 17.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for L.A. County on Saturday, directing state agencies to support local emergency response efforts in Los Angeles. Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency hours before Newsom, mobilizing additional resources for the city. Southern California lawmakers have also been sharing public health resources.

Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles) represents Boyle Heights and has been out in the community distributing masks and air purifiers. The assemblymember’s office will be mobilizing additional supplies to the cities of Commerce and Montebello.

“We will continue working closely with local, state and federal partners to monitor conditions, provide timely update, and ensure our communities have the resources they need to stay safe,” González told CALÓ News, adding “we are especially grateful for our nonprofit and community partners who have stepped up in a big way, opening distribution sites for masks, air purifiers, and food, and going door-to-door to make sure neighbors have the support and resources they need."

What happened?

The fire broke out at the cold storage facility in the 1400 block of South Los Palos St. just before 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. Cold storage facilities deal with housing perishable and climate-sensitive foods, including meat, seafood and dairy. Lineage Logistics, the company that owns the Boyle Heights facility, owns and operates multiple facilities in Southern California.

On June 19, two days after the fire erupted, Lineage released a short statement saying it was working with local officials to assess the situation and conduct a thorough investigation.

In 2023, Lineage was fined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its Iowa facility. The EPA said at the time, Lineage “failed to comply with regulations” meant to protect the nearby community from ammonia, a toxic substance, had inadequate risk analysis and failed to document its emergency response coordination with local authorities.

Lineage ultimately paid close to $173,000 for these violations.

Much of L.A. has been blanketed by dense smoke, with residents telling CALÓ News they have been experiencing headaches, stomachaches and have been unable to sleep.

Where to find resources 

Despite the known dangers of exposure to the type of particulate matter being spread by the fire, residents in Boyle Heights and nearby unincorporated East L.A. were told to shelter in place, not evacuate. Residents have been told to stay inside, avoid “rigorous” activity, close and seal windows and turn on air purifiers.

Boyle Heights residents can text or call 311 for city support and information regarding how to access masks or air purifiers. The Pecan Recreation Center located at 145 S. Pecan St. is a 24/7 smoke relief center and offers temporary shelter, food, water, masks and pet assistance.

Individuals in unincorporated East L.A. should dial 211 or visit 211la.org for support services and resources. City Terrace Park located at 1126 N. Hazard Ave. will also be open 24/7 for those looking for temporary shelter, masks, food, water and more. 

Residents who reach out to 311 or 211 will also be instructed on where they can go to get free air purifiers.

Both shelters will be open until further notice. L.A. County residents can check the status of their air quality on the South Coast Air Quality Management District index app. On Sunday night, the South Coast AQMD extended its pollution advisory until Monday at 12:30 p.m.

State response

“We are coordinating closely with our local partners, deploying specialized expertise and pre-positioning critical supplies so communities have the support they need both now and throughout recovery,” Newsom said in a statement.

The California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) is equipped to partner with the L.A. emergency department, L.A. Fire Department and county officials to coordinate their responses and administer public health information.

If and when it is requested by city officials, CAL OES is prepared to deploy resources, including 5.5 million N95 respirator masks for residents, commercial-grade air purifiers for evacuation centers and other public spaces and air quality monitoring resources.

As of Saturday, when the governor declared the emergency, the resources had not been requested. CAL OES did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether resources had been deployed as of the time of publication.