Mayor Karen Bass Halts Lineage Warehouse Rebuilding After Fire

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency executive order on August 1, 2026, halting the processing of permits for Lineage Logistics to rebuild its cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights. The order follows a June 17 fire—the second at the 1400 S. Los Palos St. facility in two years—which left millions of pounds of food to rot, causing ammonia leaks and infestations of rats and flies in the surrounding community.

The pause remains in effect while the Departments of City Planning and Building and Safety investigate the site's environmental impacts. Bass also requested a citywide moratorium on large cold-storage facilities near residential zones, schools, and parks, a measure Councilmember Ysabel Jurado plans to introduce. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health increased financial penalties against Lineage to $2,000 per day after issuing six citations for decaying organic waste.

Community members and organizations rallied on July 31 to demand the warehouse's permanent closure and a full environmental investigation. Lineage Logistics disputed the characterization of its cleanup, stating that 63.4% of the food waste had been removed as of Friday and blaming a subcontractor for Altus Power for the fire. The city has set an August 14 deadline for the complete removal of all waste, as nearby schools are scheduled to reopen on August 12.