Lineage Completes Cleanup of Boyle Heights Cold Storage Warehouse After Fire
Lineage, the world's largest cold storage company, has completed the cleanup of 4 million pounds of food waste from its 480,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, following a fire two months prior. The fire, which began on June 17 while contractors serviced a rooftop solar array, resulted in 85 million pounds of rotten meat being trapped inside the facility. Despite missing an initial August 20 deadline set by Mayor Karen Bass and a subsequent company deadline, workers have now removed the remaining food waste. The incident led to a smoke plume affecting the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire, triggering emergency declarations, a shelter-in-place order, and school relocations. State air quality regulators recorded nearly 4,000 odor complaints and ordered Lineage to take protective measures, imposing potential fines of up to $70,000 per violation. Over 300 residents have filed a lawsuit alleging ammonia exposure, smoke, and ash, with a separate suit from a cancer patient cla... 
