Boyle Heights residents call for evacuation order amid dangerous fly infestation
Boyle Heights residents call for evacuation order amid fly problem
Boyle Heights residents are demanding a mandatory evacuation order as tons of rotting food from a June 17 fire at the Lineage cold storage facility cause a severe stench and an explosion of dangerous flies.
LOS ANGELES - Boyle Heights residents living near the Lineage cold storage facility continue to deal with the aftermath of a massive fire. Those in the neighborhood are dealing with a nauseating stench from tons of rotting food and an explosion of dangerous flies.
What we know:
Cleanup efforts continue at the Lineage cold storage facility following a fire that destroyed the building on June 17, leaving tons of rotting food inside. The surrounding Boyle Heights neighborhood is now facing a severe infestation of green bottle flies. According to a city-commissioned pest inspection report brought to county officials by activists, green bottle flies lay eggs on open wounds in humans and animals, which can cause irritation, ulcers, and in some cases even death.
Beyond the pest infestation, residents returning to the neighborhood report rapid physical reactions to the local air quality. One mother documented her son suffering four nosebleeds in a single night after returning home from a two-week stay at an Airbnb.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Boyle Heights residents continue to battle flies, rodents after Lineage warehouse fire
- Air regulators hit Lineage with 6 violations, threaten court action over rotting food stench
- Boyle Heights residents battle fly infestation, foul odors as Lineage warehouse cleanup continues
What they're saying:
Residents and members of the coalition Protect LA Now attended the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting in Downtown L.A. to demand a mandatory evacuation order to remove families from the area.
"There is an infestation of flies. I did what I could but the flies didn't go away," one resident said while showing footage of flies on the floor.
"You don't get how bad this is," another resident told the board of supervisors.
Rosa Samaniego described the daily impact on her family:
"Omg the flies, and with the weather being hot, we are not able to cook, we can't even eat because if we have food on the table, the flies go in, they are fast spreaders."
"We came home that night and during that night, my son had four nosebleeds, just being there that evening. What's in that air that my son, or we are breathing, that is causing such a rapid response!"
Alma Marquez, founder of Protect LA Now, questioned the county’s timeline for intervention:
"We are saying, does somebody have to die before they actually protect the people? That's why we are here urging them to do a mandatory evacuation to be able to remove people from harm's way so folks can be safe and breathe and not worry about being bitten by these flies that can kill them!"
The Source: This report is based on field reporting by FOX 11's Christina Gonzalez, public testimony presented during the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting in downtown Los Angeles and previous FOX 11 reports.