Key Takeaways
- Residents in unincorporated East LA were denied air purifiers after the Lineage fire because they live under county jurisdiction, not city of LA.
- Community groups stepped in to fill gaps left by official distribution events that required proof of residency within city limits.
- The fire, which started June 17 at a cold-storage warehouse, was declared knocked down on June 24 after burning for over a week.
- State and local emergencies were declared, but resource access remained unequal across invisible borders.
- Residents are skeptical that the cleanup of spoiled food from the warehouse will be completed within the proposed time frame.
Introduction
The Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights burned for over a week, but the smoke didn't just pollute the air—it exposed a deep jurisdictional divide that left some of the most affected residents without access to emergency resources. For families living just steps away from the blaze, help often depended on which side of a street they lived on.
Jurisdictional Barriers at the Border
Althana Ávalos, a 33-year-old LAUSD teacher, lives on the east side of Indiana Street in unincorporated East Los Angeles. Her 9-year-old son has asthma, and the family suffered from sore throats, eye irritation, nausea, and headaches. When she called Councilmember Ysabel Jurado's office for an air purifier, she was told: “Due to the address that you’re providing, you are on the other side so you don’t qualify. You belong to the county.”
Just across the street, in Boyle Heights, residents are represented by Los Angeles city officials. But Ávalos and her neighbors fall under Los Angeles County and Supervisor Hilda Solis. This invisible border—often just a few feet wide—determined who got masks, air purifiers, and shelter access.
Walking a few feet places residents in a different jurisdiction entirely. Those geographic boundaries shaped who distributed supplies, where residents went for help, and, in some cases, who qualified for resources such as air purifiers. While Boyle Heights residents are represented by Los Angeles city officials, including Jurado, and LA Mayor Karen Bass, residents in unincorporated East LA fall under Los Angeles County and are primarily represented by Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Meanwhile, Ávalos’ family continued searching for relief as their conditions worsened. On Saturday, June 20, they went to the smoke relief shelter at City Terrace Park. During a visit to the shelter, Sen. Durazo stepped inside to talk to families. After explaining how she was turned away from receiving an air purifier, Durazo, upset by the situation, called on one of her team members to help get one, Ávalos said. A few hours later, the air purifier had been personally delivered to her home.
Community Groups Step In
As official distribution events required proof of residency, many residents were turned away. Henry Perez, executive director of InnerCity Struggle, called the situation “extremely frustrating and infuriating.” His organization, along with Proyecto Pastoral, the East LA Walking Club, and other volunteer groups, organized their own distributions without regard to jurisdiction.
Ávalos eventually received an air purifier after Sen. Durazo intervened at a smoke relief shelter at City Terrace Park. But the experience left many questioning why emergency response didn't cross invisible lines.
Local California Context
The Lineage fire started shortly before 2:30 p.m. on June 17 at a cold-storage warehouse in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles County. The fire was declared knocked down on June 24. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on June 20, and Mayor Karen Bass issued a local emergency declaration. No injuries were reported. The fire is believed to have started during testing of a rooftop solar array by Altus Power, though the company disputes that conclusion.
Cleanup Concerns and Community Demands
Beyond the smoke and jurisdictional issues, residents are now skeptical that the cleanup of rotting food from the Lineage warehouse will be completed within the time frame proposed by city leaders. Nicole Comstock reported from Boyle Heights, where residents expressed doubts about the promised cleanup schedule, citing the scale of the spoiled food and the complexity of the operation.
Crews continued working to haul away millions of pounds of rotting food, but a group of about 50 residents and community organizers gathered to demand the warehouse be shut down permanently. “It’s really hard for us to be living like this,” said Alma Lagunas, a resident and community organizer. Lineage “needs to clean up and never [come] back.” Behind her, the crowd chanted in Spanish, “Que se vayan!” (“They should go!”)
Residents say the stench from the 85 million pounds of now-rotting food is forcing them and their children to remain indoors. Soledad Martinez, a 77-year-old resident who has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years, described the odor as sometimes like burning chicken and feathers, other times like sticking her head inside an old trash can. “In all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen something so awful,” Martinez said. “My question is, when will this be over? We can’t live like this.”
Maria Jauregui, a 62-year-old resident who lives about four houses from the Lineage site, said she recently went to the emergency room because she was having difficulty breathing. “We don’t want Lineage to rebuild now, or ever again,” she said.
Los Angeles city officials have said they’ll hold those responsible for the fire and its effects accountable, and have called for the waste inside the warehouse to be removed within 45 days. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents the area, understands why some residents would demand the closure of the warehouse, according to a spokesperson. “No community should be expected to simply return to business as usual while residents are still dealing with odor, rotting food, debris removal, vermin concerns, and unanswered questions about what happened,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Among the protesters was 9-year-old Mateo, who held a sign reading “We want to breathe clean air.” His mother, Althana Ávalos, said her son has asthma and has been suffering from headaches and nausea since the fire. “He’s been crying because he can’t go outside to play,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking to see your child suffer and not be able to do anything about it.” The emotional plea from the young boy underscored the human toll of the disaster and the urgency of the community’s demands.
Conclusion
The Lineage fire underscores the urgent need for coordinated emergency response across jurisdictions in Los Angeles County. As climate-related disasters become more frequent, residents living on the edge of city and county lines must not be left behind. Community groups filled the gaps this time, but systemic solutions are needed to ensure equal access to resources in a crisis.