When the smoke from the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights cleared, Guido Borjas, 71, and his family began noticing the smell of rotting food and the sound of flies buzzing around.
“I live five houses down from the damaged area and the flies bother us,” Borjas said. “I haven’t seen any rats but it won’t be long before they come out.”
Now, nearly a month after the start of the fire, residents fear this week’s extreme heat will worsen the odors and attract more pests.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an Extreme Heat Warning starting on Tuesday morning through Thursday evening for much of Los Angeles County, with temperatures expected to climb above 90 degrees. The agency warned of a high risk of heat-related illness, especially for children, older adults, and people without air conditioning.
Borjas said his family has stayed home with doors closed because of the smell. With no air conditioning at home, the coming days will be especially difficult.
On Monday, he walked home with an air purifier and water bottles from a pop-up resource center organized by the offices of Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, just blocks from his home.
Bass said the city has opened cooling centers for residents, including those impacted by the Lineage fire, and encouraged people to call 3-1-1 if they need more information.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who serves unincorporated East LA, said she directed the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to activate cooling centers serving impacted residents. (Scroll down to find a cooling center near you).
The Mayor’s office also said crews have installed misters inside and around the building to reduce odors from food waste until it is moved off-site. In addition, 250 bait stations have been installed around the warehouse perimeter and in the immediate neighborhood to monitor pest activity.
Tips for staying cool:
The NWS recommends drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room, staying out of the sun and checking up on relatives and neighbors.
Oscar Ordoñez, 40, owner of the taco pop-up Taquiza Nice, said he can no longer set up at his usual spot across from the Lineage warehouse on Los Palos Street and Union Pacific Ave and has lost customers.
The East Los Angeles resident lives with his family on Alma Street just blocks away from the warehouse and said that the smell is stronger in that direction.
“You turn on the air and all the smell from outside is entering your house and you leave for a long time and when you open the door, the house smells like something that’s gone bad,” Ordoñez said.
Although he usually doesn’t like asking for help, Ordoñez said financial assistance would help pay his bills as he struggles to find work.
Maria Zavala, 42, said she wants the spoiled food cleaned up as soon as possible before the heat makes conditions worse.
“I wish the owner would come and sit in the house one day to see what we’re going through,” Zavala said. “You can’t even eat. Why? Because you can imagine that awful smell right there at the table.”
She also questioned why misters have not been installed closer to Ditman Avenue where she lives.
“No one has come through the streets where we live; no one has stopped by to ask, ‘Do you need any help? Do you need food? Do you need anything?’ Absolutely no one has come by,” Zavala said.
Cooling Centers in East Los Angeles
Centro Maravilla Service Center
4716 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Los Angeles, CA
Hours : Monday-Friday: 8 am – 4:30 pm
East Los Angeles Library
4837 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90022
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm, Friday-Saturday: 10 am – 6pm, Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm
East Los Angeles Service Center
133 N. Sunol Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 am – 5pm
City Terrace Park
1126 N. Hazard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90063
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10:30 am to 9:00 pm; Friday: 10:30 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Note: This cooling center site is pet-friendly.
Salazar Park
3864 Whittier Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90023
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10:30 am to 9:00 pm; Friday: 10:30 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Note: This cooling center site is pet-friendly.
Cooling Centers in Boyle Heights
Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library
803 Spence Street, Los Angeles, CA 90023
Hours: Monday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Tues: 12 noon – 8 p.m.
Weds: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thurs: 12 noon – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Contact: 310-840-2147
Malabar Branch Library
2801 Wabash Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90033
Hours:
Monday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Tues: 12 noon – 8 p.m.
Weds: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Thurs: 12 noon – 8 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Contact: 323-263-1497
