With the deadline to clean up the warehouse in Boyle Heights inundated with spoiling food just weeks away, NBC Los Angeles spoke with Mayor Karen Bass about the current pace and if anything can be done to accelerate it.
Since the fire in June, people living near the cold storage facility have complained of a terrible stench that at times makes it hard to breathe.
The mayor says her deadline is firm: 45 days (Aug. 13) to clean up the entire site. But it has been a little over a month since that fire, and only about 4% of the total food waste has been removed, according to the company’s own tracking of the cleanup efforts.
Bass helped neighbors lined up at the YMCA in East Los Angeles for a weekly food distribution that began during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now seeing people affected by the Lineage warehouse fire.
As of Monday, a fraction of the rotting food waste has been taken off the site, according to the company’s website tracking its cleanup process.
“I gave them a timeline of 45 days, but seeing the consequences of what is happening to the community, the compromising of the health and welfare of that community, frankly, 45 days is too long,” Bass said.
Only NBCLA spoke with Bass about the situation affecting hundreds of homes near the warehouse — and if the winds hit a certain way, thousands more across the east side of Los Angeles.
People living near the warehouse are still dealing with the consequences. Amber Frias reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Lineage says cleanup crews are working around the clock, while also noting that removing the waste takes time and requires specialized contractors.
When asked if there was a way to speed up or put more pressure on Lineage, the mayor said, “That’s exactly what we’re doing right now, and also asking for our partners at the county to weigh in, especially the county health department.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Councilmember Ysabel Jurado says the councilmember was expected to meet with community members and representatives from Lineage on Monday afternoon, the same day she requested the company provide a corrective action plan to address violations imposed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Last week, NBCLA reported about results from air samples taken by UCLA researchers, showing certain chemicals consistent with decomposing food were recorded in the air around the facility.
“You cannot be outside,” neighbor Wilfredo Aguilar said. “You have to be inside the house because it’s terrible.”
Additional resources like Metro cards and housing credits are available to help people affected by the Boyle Heights warehouse fire. This video was broadcast on Today in LA on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
According to 211, more than 1,100 people living closest to the warehouse have chosen to leave their homes and use vouchers to stay in Airbnbs.
Bass announced another $1 million came to the city for these vouchers. There are also resources like food distributions and air purifiers.