Los Angeles Mayor Bass delays rebuilding at massive warehouse fire site

Environmental and health concerns have led to a postponement in rebuilding at the site of a massive warehouse fire in the Los Angeles area of Boyle Heights.

The city of Los Angeles will delay rebuilding plan requests at the Lineage Logistics site per an executive order from Mayor Karen Bass. It's her third executive order related to the fire at the warehouse.

Lineage wants to rebuild at the site, but Bass said Friday that nothing will happen until an investigation of the property is complete and any future use of the site has been reviewed.

According to the mayor, the people of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights “continue to suffer" due to what she described as irresponsible corporate action. Examples offered by the mayor and others include poor air quality, flies and odors from spoiled food that had been in cold storage before the fire.

“Lineage had the audacity to submit plans to rebuild their warehouse,” Bass said at a press conference. “This is a slap in the face of the families that are forced to suffer with the consequences of these corporate actions, or I should say inactions, every single day.”

Bass also requested the Los Angeles City Council adopt an ordinance that puts in place a moratorium on large cold store facilities near schools and parks.

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said she will introduce such an ordinance next week.

“We cannot go back to business as usual,” said Jurado at the press conference.

The Lineage Logistics fire broke out on June 17. Firefighters did not get it extinguished until June 24.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who was also at Friday’s press conference, said officials are “not playing around” with Logistics or anyone else.

“There has to be more accountability,” said Solis.

The Center Square sought comment from Lineage, but did not hear back before publication time.

An official cause of the fire has not been finalized. Local and state fire departments and agencies are still investigating.

When asked about the fire's impact on public schools in Boyle Heights, Bass said she planned to speak with Andrés E. Chait, superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District.

“I’m impressed with all that the district plans to do,” said Bass. “The fact that they have cleaned the schools, the fact that they have changed the filters and the air conditioning and the way that they plan to protect the students.”

Bass said her conversation with the superintendent would involve what the city can do to better help LAUSD.

“I’m especially concerned that as they move to clear out freezer No. 1 that the smells are going to get even worse, and what I will hate to see is that the students will essentially have to remain indoors,” said the mayor.

The Center Square reached out to LAUSD for comment but did not receive a response as of publication time.