Cleanup of Boyle Heights Cold-Storage Fire Faces Rotting Food and Odor Issues

Fire crews have brought a week-long fire at a Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse under control, yet the aftermath includes large quantities of spoiled meat and a strong odor as cleanup work proceeds. Thick foam from the building’s insulation and leaking water have been observed around the site, and three dump trucks have already removed waste, though officials say it will take several more days before the interior can be fully accessed.

Local resident Wendy Ramirez described the smell of decaying food after returning to the neighborhood, noting that her children, who have asthma, had been staying with relatives during the fire. Her father-in-law, Jaime Ramirez, said he needed a mask not for lingering smoke but for the stench, and expressed concerns about rats and other hazards.

A UCLA analysis shows the surrounding area employs about 31,700 workers, most of whom are Latino and many of whom lack paid leave or health coverage, limiting their ability to avoid exposure. > "Putting some numbers into these assumptions is important, so that we can have an expectation of who are the most affected and we can have an idea of what type of policies need to be implemented to give relief to these populations," said Arturo Vargas Bustamante, research director at the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute.

Community organizer Mark! Lopez of East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice called the neighborhood a focal point for environmental inequities, citing past incidents such as an oil spill and a former battery-recycling plant. > "On any given day the air is unhealthy to breathe and so of course when you bring a disaster into it, it only exacerbates the existing issues," he said.

Air-quality monitors near the site did not record elevated particulate levels as of Thursday morning, but residents remain worried about long-term health effects from possible contamination. > "The true impacts aren’t what we all saw in the sky. It’s what we’re going to see at our doctors’ visits in the years to come," Lopez added.

Captain Anthony Tubbs of the Los Angeles Fire Department said the fire is no longer likely to spread, though smoldering will continue for a few days. Fire Chief Jaime E. Moore announced that the building will be returned to its tenant, Lineage, and the owner on Friday, with a reduced crew remaining on site to monitor hot spots. The owner and lessee will be responsible for debris removal and mitigating odors, while the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will assist with safe disposal of spoiled food and address community health concerns.