Boyle Heights warehouse fire enters new phase as concerns shift to spoiled food, runoff
Boyle Heights hit with bad odor, pest concerns
Firefighters have made significant progress battling the Boyle Heights warehouse fire, but officials are now concerned about millions of pounds of food inside the facility beginning to spoil. Residents say smoke conditions have improved, though odors from rotting food and concerns about pests have emerged as new issues.
LOS ANGELES - After nearly a week of thick smoke blanketing Boyle Heights and surrounding communities, firefighters are making significant progress against the massive warehouse fire that has burned inside a cold-storage facility since last week.
But as the flames begin to subside, officials and residents are facing a new concern: millions of pounds of food trapped inside the damaged warehouse that is now beginning to spoil.
The fire broke out at the Lineage cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, sending towering smoke plumes across East Los Angeles and prompting repeated air quality warnings and shelter-in-place advisories for nearby neighborhoods.
Residents who live near the facility say smoke conditions have improved in recent days, but a new odor has taken its place.
"I'm glad it's calming down now. The downside of this is smelling the rotten food now. I'm starting to smell it," said Jenny, who lives next to the warehouse with her husband, Louie.
LAFD officials say the concern is justified.
"We want to get this fire out as quickly as possible because we do have the concern of the food spoiling," LAFD Capt. Anthony Tubbs said.
The warehouse contains an estimated 85 million pounds of frozen food. Officials say much of it has remained inside the facility as crews continue battling stubborn hot spots hidden within the structure.
The conditions surrounding the warehouse have also raised concerns among nearby residents. Vehicles remain coated in soot from days of heavy smoke, while flies have been spotted swarming around waterlogged debris around the property.
Some neighbors worry spoiled food could attract rats that FOX 11 has spotted near nearby homeless encampments and industrial areas.
"Now we're going to have to try and fend those off," Louie said.
"It's frustrating, but the most frustrating thing is the smell," said nearby resident Max Cornejo.
Runoff and environmental concerns
As firefighters continue pouring water onto the burning structure, attention is also turning to what happens to that water after it leaves the scene.
SkyFOX captured murky runoff moving through the industrial area surrounding the warehouse. Large amounts of water mixed with ash, debris and burned insulation have collected in streets and drainage systems near the property.
LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said crews are closely monitoring runoff conditions.
"We're watching the runoff, we're monitoring the runoff, just like we're monitoring the air," Moore said.
Video from the scene showed standing water throughout portions of the industrial complex as crews worked to pump water from flooded areas. Large piles of charred foam, insulation and siding remain scattered around the property.
When asked about concerns that contaminated runoff could eventually reach the ocean through regional waterways, Tubbs said multiple agencies are working to reduce environmental impacts.
"I understand that concern, but I do want to reassure the community that LAFD, as well as our partner fire departments throughout the region, are doing everything we can to try and mitigate this emergency," Tubbs said.
Firefighters still unable to enter building
Despite major progress in containing the fire and preventing it from spreading to nearby homes and businesses, the warehouse remains too dangerous for firefighters to enter.
The facility spans roughly 500,000 square feet, and officials say structural instability, collapsed sections and hidden hot spots continue to keep crews outside.
Residents have praised firefighters for preventing the fire from spreading beyond the warehouse.
"Being able to contain the fire and not have it spread to the houses or other buildings around it has been absolutely amazing," Cornejo said. "I'm proud of them."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.