Boyle Heights residents and advocacy groups are calling for the permanent closure of a fire-damaged cold-storage warehouse after a massive fire left odor, cleanup, and environmental concerns across the neighborhood.
The rally was planned for Thursday morning at Olympic Boulevard and La Puerta Street, according to MyNewsLA.
Organizers want Lineage Logistics to close the facility, conduct a comprehensive environmental study, and complete a thorough cleanup of the surrounding area.
Residents are focused on what remains after a large industrial site burns near homes, schools, businesses, and neighborhood streets.
The Fire Burned for More Than a Week
The June 17 fire at the Lineage Logistics cold-storage warehouse burned for more than a week and left millions of pounds of spoiled food inside the facility.
City officials have said the cleanup includes odor mitigation, pest control, air-quality testing, stormwater and groundwater testing, and measures to protect drinking water. Lineage has hired Signal Restoration Services to lead cleanup work at the site.
Residents Want the Site Closed Permanently
Community groups say the damaged warehouse has become an ongoing health and environmental concern for the surrounding neighborhood.
Participating groups include Eastside Padres Contra la Privatización, the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, Centro CSO, and Reclaim Our Schools LA. LAUSD board member Rocio Rivas was also expected to attend, according to MyNewsLA.
The City Has Issued Emergency Orders
Mayor Karen Bass announced two emergency executive orders Monday aimed at speeding cleanup and recovery in Boyle Heights, according to ABC7.
One order calls for a community resource center, additional bus service, free transit in the affected area, and continued monitoring by LAFD, LA Sanitation, and DWP. The other creates a Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command to coordinate remediation oversight, monitoring, compliance, and community meetings.
The Cleanup Could Take Thousands of Truckloads
City officials said food waste is being hauled to landfills in Ventura and Riverside counties using routes meant to avoid residential streets.
Lineage estimates it will take about 5,000 truckloads to remove the food waste from the site. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials said LAFD is expected to report within 90 days on the status of that investigation.
Industrial Fires Can Leave Neighborhood Questions Behind
For residents who live near warehouses, cold-storage buildings, recycling sites, or other industrial properties, the days after a fire can raise questions about air quality, water runoff, truck routes, odor control, pest activity, and how cleanup decisions are being monitored.
Those concerns are now central to the Boyle Heights dispute, where residents are asking officials to look beyond removing debris and address whether the damaged facility should be allowed to operate again in the same neighborhood.