The refrigeration company renting space for a cold food storage facility that has been burning since Wednesday has contributed $2 million to help those affected by the fire and air quality problems, the company and local leaders announced on Sunday, June 21.
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Lineage, whose 500,000-square-foot warehouse in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street has posed unusual challenges for firefighters, said its contribution was given to the California Community Foundation, which will distribute the funds to residents.
“Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of our team members, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate,” said a company statement. “We know many people living near our facility in Boyle Heights are deeply distraught about the fire that began on June 17, and rightfully so.”
The method by which residents can apply for the funds was not immediately clear on Sunday evening. A reporter has reached out to the foundation.
Lineage also said it was working with local entities to provide air purifiers and food to those affected by the blaze.
The fire started about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday and rapidly spread across solar panels that cover the roof of the warehouse, but has since been burning the contents inside, on one side of the massive structure, officials said.
On Saturday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom both declared a state of emergency, freeing up funds for more resources to arrive and help attack the fire, officials said.
Bass said at a Sunday news conference the city had hundreds of air purifiers, filters and masks to hand out at shelters for residents affected by smoke. She said that number was expected to be in the thousands by Monday.
She and other officials went door to door in Boyle Heights on Sunday morning, near where the fire was burning, to make sure residents received supplies if needed, she said.
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Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said a shelter at City Terrace Park was providing masks, bottled water, non-perishable food and information from public health and air quality officials. Transportation assistance has been helping residents get to the shelter, she said.
Air purifiers and other supplies also have been available at a second shelter at the Pecan Recreation Center, 145 Pecan Ave., in Boyle Heights.
Both locations remain open 24 hours a day for residents who need shelter away from the smoke, officials said.
The Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA has also opened an emergency shelter at 2900 Whittier Blvd., where it has been distributing masks.
“This community has been hit repeatedly,” Bass said. “This community does not have access to traditional resources and we want to make sure that we raise the funds so we can address the needs in this community.”
Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, whose district includes Boyle Heights, said the community “has been living in smoke, uncertainty and real concern for days. Families want to know what’s in the air, what they can do to protect themselves and what’s next.”
“Boyle Heights did not create this crisis and Boyle Heights should not be left to carry the burden of cleaning it up on their own,” Jurado said.
Bass said Sunday that there were no mandatory evacuations in place, but residents can voluntarily evacuate if they want to. When asked if the air was dangerous, Bass said, “No, the air is not dangerous.”
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