Boyle Heights warehouse fire report shows serious health risks for surrounding community
ByRob HayesandMarc Cota-Robles
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 1:16AM
A new report from St. John’s Community Health and other organizations says people who live and work near the site of a massive warehouse fire in Boyle Heights could face severe and worsening health risks.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) –A new report from St. John’s Community Health and other organizations says people who live and work near the site of a massive warehouse fire in Boyle Heights could face severe and worsening health risks
The fire at a warehouse operated by Lineage Logistics burned for more than a week after breaking out two months ago. Since then, residents have complained of a foul smell in the area as crews continue removing food waste from the burned-out warehouse
An estimated 85 million pounds of food was stored at the facility at the time of the fire. What remains has gone bad, attracting rats and other vermin while cleanup work continues
Lineage Logistics, the owner of the Boyle Heights warehouse that caught fire in June, missed the food cleanup deadline laid out by the city.
St. John’s Community Health and other community organizations that have been responding to the crisis put together a report outlining the health impacts of the fire and the mess left behind
In the report, which was released on Tuesday, the organizations say the rotting food and toxins from the site have sickened many people in the surrounding neighborhoods
“We have gone through hell. I repeat, they have gone through hell because of the Lineage fire,” said Harry Perez of Inner City Struggle
Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health, said the organization treated more than 1,300 people after the fire
“Close to 40% of people we provided healthcare to had serious, acute and devastating health problems,” Mangia said
Using that sample of patients, the report cites a surge in acute upper respiratory infections, eye disorders and asthma exacerbation, among other ailments. The groups also said conditions in the community are generating an increase in mental health issues, including anxiety, sleep disruption and relocation concerns
SEE ALSO: ER visits spiked around Boyle Heights during warehouse fire, public health data shows
While some residents say the smell of rotting food is improving, we are learning that ER visits nearby tripled during the warehouse fire.
Mangia said the health impacts are likely to grow over time
“You are going to see a significant increase in asthma rates in Boyle Heights. You are going to see an increase in cardiac issues. You’re going to see an increase in mental health issues,” he said
Perez also warned of long-term effects
“We are very likely to see the long-term impacts on the toxins that our community was exposed to during the beginning of the fire and continue to be exposed to even now,” he said
Earlier this week, Lineage said it had already removed about 95% of the bulk food. Eyewitness News sent Lineage some of the report’s findings and asked for an interview, but the company did not respond
In an updated statement released on Tuesday, Lineage said nearly all of the bulk food waste has been removed
The company says it expects the food waste removal to be done “in the coming days,” but it also added that the final stretch of cleanup is the “most complex.”
Lineage described a tedious process of removing loose food lodged within a six-story rack system, which spans 40 miles of shelving
The team says it has had an average of 400 workers on site every day working on cleanup. The company says when cleanup is complete, it will have spent over $100 million
The Los Angeles County Health Department said emergency rooms in the area closest to the Lineage fire did see increases in complaints of smoke inhalation, throat pain and headaches, but those issues returned to normal levels within weeks of the fire. The department said emergency rooms did not see increases in COPD cases, severe asthma attacks or acute heart problems after the fire
Community leaders in Boyle Heights say they want Lineage to accelerate its cleanup and do not want the company to rebuild in the neighborhood
“We want Lineage out. They should not be allowed to rebuild. They have endangered the lives of our residents and community members,” Perez said
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she has frozen any permits to rebuild the facility and has city attorneys drafting a possible lawsuit against Lineage
RELATED: Lineage files permit to rebuild warehouse, angering Boyle Heights residents, city leaders
More than a month after a massive fire, the company behind the burned-out cold storage facility has filed a permit to rebuild, drawing anger from city leaders who say cleanup should come first.
Help for small businesses impacted by disaster
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced federal disaster assistance for small businesses on Tuesday
The assistance was made available after the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved California’s request for a disaster declaration
It means new, low-interest loans are now available to help small businesses and private non-profit organizations that suffered economic losses from the fire
For example, over the past two months, Eyewitness News has spoken to several restaurant owners who experienced a dramatic drop in customers, impacting their bottom line
Loans can reach up to $2 million, with no payments for the first year. The money can be used to pay off debts, payroll and other expenses
Starting now, SBA customer service will be available at two Los Angeles-area Business Recovery Centers to answer questions and assist with applications
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments can also be scheduled at appointment.sba.gov
The deadline to apply for a loan is May 14, 2027
Businesses and non-profits can also apply online at sba.gov/disaster, call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov
The two Los Angeles Business Recovery Centers are located at:
East LA/Boyle Heights Business
- 1780 E. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90033
- Opens Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m.
- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
East LA Entrepreneur Center (Centro Maravilla)
- 4716 E. Cesar Chavez Ave., Building B, Los Angeles, CA 90022
- Opens Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m.
- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
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