Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Monday issued an executive order aimed at mobilizing resources to tackle the mammoth cleanup spurred by the relentless Boyle Heights fire, which fire crews battled for nearly two weeks.
Bass announced two emergency executive orders in response to the Lineage warehouse fire during a Monday afternoon news conference alongside Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, Fire Chief Jaime Moore and community leaders. The warehouse, meanwhile, was not yet released by fire officials to its owners on Monday, as had been anticipated.
The orders establish a centralized recovery command, set cleanup/remediation timelines and direct city departments to expand community resources, including mobile health screenings, mental health support, air quality monitoring and financial assistance for affected workers and businesses.
Responsible parties must submit a comprehensive remediation and cleanup plan with all biohazard food waste removed within 45 days of site transfer. The city is also seeking cost recovery and potential penalties.
The order also directs the city to create a public recovery dashboard, publish status reports at least every 72 hours initially, and conduct a citywide analysis of industrial land uses near homes, schools and other sensitive sites. Bass said she is directing the City Attorney to pursue “every available legal and regulatory avenue” to hold responsible parties accountable.
“The people of Boyle Heights should not and will not be left to bear the cost of this corporation’s actions,” Bass said. “They deserve a recovery they trust, one that strengthens their community and leaves them safer than before this fire began.”
Chief Moore said his department would not return control of the Lineage warehouse to the property and business owner Monday as previously anticipated.
“The Los Angeles Fire Department will retain control of this property until we are confident that the fire has completely been extinguished, and there is no reasonable risk of re-ignition,” Moore said. “That decision is based on one thing, and that’s the people here, public safety.”
Firefighters will continue monitoring and suppressing remaining hotspots inside the building while gradually releasing resources as conditions improve, Moore said.
When it happens, returning control of the fire-ravaged Lineage cold-storage warehouse to its operator will allow the company to begin removing an estimated 85 million pounds of spoiled food from the facility while city officials shift their focus to environmental remediation and community recovery.
“Environmental hazards from industrial disasters too often fall on communities like Boyle Heights,” Bass said in a statement earlier in the day.
“Those responsible will be held accountable, and the city is working with an array of organizations to provide resources to the families and business owners who desperately need them. The ongoing recovery and remediation will be shaped by the people who call this community home,” Bass added.
The LAFD has implemented an incident action plan that includes deploying crews around the clock to maintain a “firewatch” and respond if significant flare-ups occur. The crews will work on a rotating schedule.
The property owner has contracted with a private fire company that is using a water cannon to keep smoldering areas in the center of the building from flaring up. The company is expected to remain on site throughout the remediation process to respond to any hot spots as needed.
LAFD’s Certified Unified Program Agency will remain involved throughout the remediation process to oversee the removal of hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries.
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Although the blaze that erupted June 17 at 1400 S. Los Palos St. was knocked down a week later, City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado said the crisis is far from over for Boyle Heights residents.
“As 85 million pounds of spoiled food are removed from this site, my priority is making sure the cleanup is safe, transparent, and accountable to the people of Boyle Heights — not just to the agencies or the company responsible for this property,” Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said in a statement.
“Residents deserve clear testing results, strong public health protections, real resources, and a recovery process shaped by the community most impacted,” the councilwoman added.
Firefighters saved roughly half of the nearly 500,000-square-foot warehouse, although the entire facility sustained extensive smoke and water damage. The section most heavily damaged by the fire was largely dismantled during firefighting operations and will likely be demolished, officials said.
City officials said the food waste is being transported to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties. Trucks hauling the food waste will avoid residential streets by using existing hauling routes already used by a nearby recycling facility, according to the Mayor’s Office.
City officials said the goal is to minimize the impact on surrounding neighborhoods. Lineage estimates it will need to remove about 5,000 truckloads of food waste from the site.
In a statement Thursday, Lineage officials said the company has already hired Signal Restoration Services, “an industry-leading cleanup firm,” to spearhead cleaning efforts at the site.
“To move forward as quickly as possible, we urge the government agencies involved to promptly address any permitting or other approvals necessary to begin cleanup.”
Lineage noted that no hazardous materials are stored at the facility, and “robust plans for disinfection, odor control and pest control will be implemented.”
“We are exploring multiple avenues to minimize disruption to the community, including the use of water-tight trailers and containers to transport waste offsite,” according to the company.
LAFD Chief Jaime Moore noted there is still substantial work remaining to overhaul the structure — most notably disposing of the frozen food that was in the warehouse.
City officials noted there are ongoing efforts related to odor mitigation, pest control, air quality testing, stormwater and groundwater testing, and ensuring drinking water remains safe.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, but Lineage officials have said they believe the fire started while a subcontractor working for Altus Power, which owns the solar array on top of the building, was conducting tests on the panels.
Altus officials issued a statement saying no cause of the fire has yet been determined and that the company was cooperating with investigators.
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City News Service contributed to this report