Two and a half months after the fire at the Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights, hundreds of tons of food waste have finally been removed. But on August 30, 2026, it is difficult to imagine that the crisis is nearing its end: the stench remains overwhelming, flies continue to multiply and local residents are still concerned about the possible health consequences of the disaster. Report by Emmanuelle Franks.
Read the original article in French here.
More than two months after the fire at the Lineage Logistics refrigerated warehouse in Boyle Heights, which broke out on June 17, 2026, the food waste has finally been removed. Yet police remain a constant presence around the site, and the consequences of the fire are still very noticeable.
On Sunday, August 30, as we approach the site, the smell is still acrid, nauseating and persistent—just as intense as when we visited on June 29, five days after the fire had been fully extinguished. After spending an hour about 50 meters from the building, our throats are burning, nausea begins to set in and, when we leave the neighborhood, the smell has once again seeped into our hair and clothes. These symptoms do not make it possible to identify what substances may be present in the air or determine their toxicity, but they do illustrate the intensity of the exposure experienced on site.
The waste is gone, but the nuisances remain
The previous day, August 29, 2026, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) had announced that all bulk food waste had been removed. Work at the site, however, is not yet complete: debris removal, washing and disinfection are expected to continue, along with measures designed to control odors.
Part of the building has already been demolished, and trucks continue to come and go. Isidor, who traveled from San Diego specifically to manage truck traffic for a week, is working seven days straight. What has struck him most? “The big flies,” which remain extremely numerous around the site.
The issue has also been documented by authorities. A Los Angeles County Department of Public Health survey released in July 2026 found that 84% of residents surveyed had noticed an increase in pests, including 76% who reported more flies and 35% who reported more rodents.
“I’d rather stay in my home”
Hector lives just a few yards away. Wearing a mask, he tends to his garden in an effort to keep his surroundings as clean as possible. He points to the flies swarming around a large tree and says he has also seen a significant number of cockroaches. “You wouldn’t believe how many cockroaches there were in my yard this summer,” he says.
Unable to regularly afford professional pest-control services, he relies on sprays and traps instead. He also points to deposits on his trash cans that he suspects may be residue from the fire, although their origin cannot be confirmed. Authorities have distributed masks and air purifiers throughout the neighborhood, but Hector turned down an offer of temporary Airbnb accommodation. “I’d rather stay in my home,” he says.
The smell, however, has become a daily burden. Visitors sometimes find themselves unable to eat at his house because of it, he says, and have encouraged him to leave.
Nearly 5,000 complaints already filed
Some of the waste from the Lineage facility was transported to Simi Valley, where residents are now reporting odors and flies of their own. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District issued a notice of violation to the landfill operator.*
In Boyle Heights, South Coast AQMD had already received more than 4,900 odor complaints since July 12 and issued 38 notices of violation for public nuisance.
The removal of the food waste therefore marks a major milestone, but not yet the end of the crisis. On August 30, the trucks are still moving, the flies are still there, the heat wave continues and, above all, the smell remains...
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