Lineage Logistics to miss L.A.'s food cleanup deadline, says they have more time

HEALTH & FITNESS Lineage Logistics to miss L.A.'s food cleanup deadline, says they have more time By Rob Hayes Friday, August 14, 2026 8:12PM Lineage Logistics, the owner of the Boyle Heights warehouse that caught fire and burned in June, said it will miss the food cleanup deadline laid out by the city, and it should have more time. Lineage Logistics, the owner of the Boyle Heights warehouse that caught fire and burned in June, said it will miss the food cleanup deadline laid out by the city, and it should have more time.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said gave the company until 5 p.m. Friday to clear out all the food waste from the site. But, Lineage said it is only 37 days into a 45-day cleanup period, with 93% of the bulk food waste removed. They're expected to finish all food removal by Aug. 27.

"Lineage is a multibillion-dollar company with the resources to meet the 45-day deadline I set," Bass said in a statement. "They have indicated that they will not meet it [ Friday ] . Meanwhile, the people of Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles continue to live with the consequences. Families are still dealing with horrific odors and the constant uncertainty of when this nightmare will end."

"For weeks, the City has publicly told Boyle Heights, the media, and anyone that would listen that August 14 was the deadline for Lineage to remove the food waste from this facility," Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said in a statement. "If Lineage believed that deadline was wrong, it had weeks to say so publicly. Waiting until the eve of the deadline to announce a different interpretation of the calendar is not accountability."

Lineage said it has about 400 workers a day working on cleanup efforts at the warehouse, and it is spending about $100 million on cleanup efforts.

Boyle Heights residents living near the burned-out warehouse are caught in the middle and left to deal with the stench of rotting food, pests and vermin being drawn to the neighborhood by the food and the pollution left by the fire.

"Our soil, our air, our water, everything has been contaminated," a resident said during a community meeting Thursday night.

Angry residents packed the Boyle Heights Community Center, venting their frustrations and trying to get answers from representatives of Lineage Logistics. The public forum Thursday night was virtual, with company representatives attending via webinar and wrapping up after an hour.

Residents said they are left hanging, with Lineage providing few answers to questions about health and safety.

"They picked and chose what questions they were going to answer. And then, it was the same answers. You can call these phone numbers," Boyle Heights resident Laura Garza said. "Lineage has a number you can call if you want an air conditioner. But what's the number you call if you want to know what chemicals you were exposed to, and why they haven't cleaned it up yet?"

Bass said that Lineage has failed to meet its responsibility to the community and is calling on the city council to pursue civil litigation and all legal avenues to recover costs.

"Lineage, frankly, in my opinion, has worn out its welcome in the community," Bass said. "And, I've taken executive action to pause the processing of their plans to rebuild."

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