A burned Los Angeles cold-storage complex is entering the cleanup stage, yet life for neighbors around the site remains disrupted.
As firefighting activity eases in Boyle Heights, another problem is dominating the area: the odor from millions of pounds of spoiled food inside the facility.
What happened?
Friday marked the transition from extinguishing the blaze to clearing the site. Around the 500,000-square-foot warehouse, crews assembled trailers, parked trucks, light towers, and sandbag barriers in preparation for debris work and environmental safeguards, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On June 17, a fire broke out at the Lineage-operated building during reported work on roof-mounted solar panels. It spread into the insulated structure, damaged the roof, and created conditions firefighters considered too dangerous for entry.
Because crews could not enter, the Los Angeles Fire Department removed parts of the building from the exterior before fully extinguishing the fire.
Officials said it was "knocked down" Wednesday evening.
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Responsibility for the cleanup phase has now shifted to the private tenant and its contractors.
Captain Branden Silverman of the Los Angeles Fire Department said, per the Times: "The business owner, the tenants, the restoration company that they have on contract, they are the ones handling the cleanup at this point."
Why does it matter?
The fire appears to have ruined millions of pounds of food.
Food waste is already a complicated issue, especially when food must first be deemed safe before it can be distributed to people in need.
Residents are also contending with the environmental fallout.
To limit contamination, fire officials installed metal grates and sandbags near storm drains, while still deciding what to use to reduce the odor.
Silverman said, per the Times: "There are also other methods that could be employed — potentially a deodorizer, they could be applied on top of the debris to keep the smell down. They're literally looking at every angle possible to minimize the impact on the community."
Companies handling massive food inventories need robust emergency planning, including improved spoilage prevention, rapid-response logistics, and safe surplus donation systems, before food reaches the point of no return.
What are people saying?
In a statement, per the Times, Lineage said it has brought in Signal Restoration Services to lead the cleanup and that "Lineage is committed to the fastest cleanup that is possible without sacrificing health, safety, and regulatory compliance."
The company also said, "We have already staged cleanup equipment onsite" while urging the city to expedite any permits needed for the effort.
LAFD crews are expected to remain at the site until cleanup can proceed without concern about exposing hidden hot spots.
Silverman said: "Once we're comfortable with that, then we will leave the incident, and it'll be strictly the business and the business owner's responsibility to maintain during the demolition process."
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