Boyle Heights Response & Recovery

Clarification on Freezer 1 Completion Percentage Methodology

Lineage is updating its Freezer 1 completion percentage in accordance with the measurement methodology required by the AQMD.  Our completion percentage will reflect 90% as of today.

We want to be clear about what this means and what it does not.  Our prior reporting percentages tied weight removed from the building relative to our estimates of total food weight at the time of the fire.  That approach produced figures greater than 100% in our reporting this week, potentially creating the misimpression that food removal waste was complete when it is not.  Accordingly, as we have strived to meet community notification requirements under the AQMD order, we have also reiterated that cleanup is nearly complete but some food waste remains.  While we are in the final stretch of food cleanup, with hundreds of workers working around the clock, there is still a significant amount of loose food debris that requires manual removal.  The final stretch of food waste removal is the most complex, and we continue to prioritize both speed and safety.  Going forward, we will evaluate the completion percentage in a manner that will show 100% completion when food waste removal is fully done.

We understand that seeing the number move from 100% is frustrating. It’s equally frustrating for us.  To be clear, this is a correction to how we measure and report progress — it is not a change in our effort, our resourcing, or our commitment to this community. We are not pausing, slowing, or reducing our work in any way. If anything, this final stretch demands more focused effort, not less urgency, and we are treating it that way. 

Our commitment to this community is unchanged and we estimate that the food waste removal work in Freezer 1 to conclude around August 30th. We have not yet begun the final stage of power washing, disinfection, and deodorizing within Freezer 1.  That phase follows the completion of food waste removal, and we are preparing for that work now.

No cleanup of this scale and speed has been executed before, and we have dedicated every available resource to this effort, expecting to spend over $100M on our total cleanup. Lineage has deployed hundreds of workers on site every day, with more than 100,000 hours of work logged already.  We are not holding back and will not stop until the job is done.

Every worker, contractor, and dollar committed to this site remains fully deployed until this job is finished — completely, correctly, and to the standard this community deserves.

Cleanup In Final Stretch With Bulk Food Waste Removal Nearly Complete

The cleanup is in the final stretch, with hundreds of workers working around the clock on removing residual food waste, power washing, disinfecting, and deodorizing the facility. We will continue to work tirelessly until the cleanup is complete. The final stretch of food waste removal is the most complex, and we continue to prioritize both speed and safety. 

Much of what remains is loose food product lodged within a six-story rack system spanning 40 miles of shelving including in areas where heavy equipment cannot reach. Workers in full protective gear are climbing into racks more than six stories high to manually push product down. Others clear it bay by bay from the floor. Amid this highly manual and difficult work, the team continues to make outstanding progress under challenging conditions.

The situation surrounding the cleanup remains dynamic. The pace of progress has always been dictated by conditions on the ground and by our commitment to the physical safety of the workforce.

No cleanup of this scale and speed has been executed before, and we have dedicated every available resource to this effort, expecting to spend over $100M on our total cleanup. Lineage has deployed hundreds of workers on site every day, with more than 100,000 hours of work logged already. 

We will continue to keep local government, regulatory agencies, including the South Coast AQMD, and the surrounding community updated on our progress. We are not holding back and will not stop until the job is done.

Bulk Food Waste Removal Nearly Complete, Lineage Enters Next Phase of Cleanup

Nearly all the bulk food waste at the Los Palos site has been removed, and we continue to expect completion of bulk food waste removal in the coming days. The situation on the ground surrounding the cleanup remains dynamic, and we will continue to work tirelessly until the cleanup is complete.

The final stretch of food waste removal is the most complex, and we continue to prioritize both speed and safety. What remains is loose food product lodged within a six-story rack system spanning 40 miles of shelving — much in areas where heavy equipment cannot reach. Workers in full protective gear are climbing into racks more than six stories high to manually push product down. Others clear it bay by bay from the floor.

We are maintaining the same urgency and dedication to our next phase of work, which is already underway. Phase II will focus on efficiently moving forward with proactive decontamination and cleaning in parallel with removing the remaining loose debris, including power washing, disinfecting, detailing and deodorizing. Our focus remains on fully remediating the site to eliminate odor impacts on the surrounding community.

No cleanup of this scale and speed has been executed before, and we have dedicated every available resource to this effort, expecting to spend over $100M on our total cleanup. The pace of progress has always been dictated by conditions on the ground and by our commitment to the physical safety of the workforce. Lineage has deployed an average of 400 workers on site every day, with more than 100,000 hours of work logged.

We are committed to transparency and will continue to keep local government, regulatory agencies, including the South Coast AQMD, and the surrounding community updated on our progress. We are not holding back. We are sparing no expense. We are not stopping until the job is done and the site is fully clean.

Lineage Nearly Done, Clarifies Cleanup Deadline 

The 45-day cleanup clock began on July 7, the day the Los Angeles Fire Department ended its 24-hour fire watch at the site after persistent flare-ups made it unsafe to enter. That date is documented in reports we have submitted to the city and is the start date recognized by the South Coast AQMD. We are at day 37. We have time remaining, and we intend to use every hour of it.

As of today, 93% of bulk food waste has been removed from the site. While we are in the home stretch, we know our job isn't done yet. We are targeting completion of bulk food removal by August 20, followed by spot cleaning, disinfecting and detailing work by August 27, consistent with AQMD's orders.

The final stretch is the hardest. Full pallets and intact boxes are gone. What remains is loose food product lodged high in a six-story rack system spanning the equivalent of 40 miles of shelving, in areas where heavy equipment cannot reach. Workers in full protective gear are climbing into the racks to push product down. Others are on the ground with shovels, clearing it bay by bay. This work cannot be rushed without creating serious safety risks.

The scale of what has already been accomplished is without precedent. More than 100,000 hours of work. An average of 400 workers on site every day. More than 500 pieces of equipment deployed. More than 4,000 truckloads of debris removed. No cleanup of this complexity has ever been executed at this speed.

The timeline is dictated by the reality on the ground, not by our willingness or our resources – and we are expected to spend $100M on our cleanup effort. We have spared no expense, held nothing back, and we are not slowing down. We will not stop until the job is done.

Lineage Reaches 92% Bulk Food Waste Removal as Cleanup Advances

92% of bulk food waste removed 

Pest and odor control measures significantly expanded to include an additional 1,150+ fly traps deployed in and around the community 

More than $3.38 million in direct community support from Lineage provided to date 

LOS ANGELES – August 11, 2026 – Lineage today reported that approximately 92% of bulk food waste has been removed from its Los Palos warehouse, with the cleanup firmly nearing its final phase after 36 consecutive days of around-the-clock operations. With the cleanup advancing to its final phase, Lineage team members and contractors remain fully deployed to execute the fastest and safest possible cleanup – an unprecedented effort based on the project’s complexity and scale. 

“We continue to make meaningful progress against this massive cleanup effort every single day, and we will keep working until the job is done. In addition to advancing the cleanup, we are focused on increasing pest and odor mitigants, including distributing more than 1,150 fly traps throughout the community. Lineage also remains committed to our outreach efforts to reach residents closest to the site, with 87% now contacted. Those we have not reached remain a priority and we will continue our follow-up efforts until all households have received support,” said Jeff Rivera, Lineage’s Chief Operating Officer. 
 

Expanded Pest and Odor Control

Lineage has meaningfully expanded its pest and odor control measures in the past 24 hours, including:

• 1,150+ fly traps now deployed across three zones, including approximately 350 traps previously distributed to residents, 800 additional traps being distributed starting today (August 11), and 576 traps being installed by Orkin in public spaces throughout the immediate neighborhood including mounted on telephone poles and in common areas.
  • Residents who have not yet received fly traps through our door-to-door outreach are encouraged to visit our landing page at: onelineage.com/lospalos  
• 230 exterior fly-control devices on-site, including bait stations and fly traps
• Daily fly-control treatments, with capacity for additional service if activity warrants
• Daily perimeter inspections for rodent activity, with rodent-control devices placed at strategic locations around the site
• Targeted treatments at dumpsters, loading areas, drainage areas, and fence lines – the locations where pest activity concentrates
• 41 misting stations, 9 carbon filtration systems in Freezer 1, vapor capture on the water tank, and a fully wrapped demising wall for odor containment

Sustained Community Outreach

Lineage's neighborhood outreach teams have not slowed their efforts as cleanup approaches completion.

• 795 households visited with 688 successfully contacted – an 87% contact rate; the nearly 800 households identified by the City and County as being closest to the site
• 4,300+ items distributed, including air purifiers, portable air conditioning units, N95 masks, bottled water, and grocery vouchers
• $3.38 million in total support provided, including a $2 million contribution to the California Community Foundation, $278,000 in direct cash assistance cards, 7,000 meal kits through the LA Regional Food Bank, utility assistance via LADWP and SoCal Edison, and more
• Lineage has also deployed an opt-in email channel for residents to receive daily updates on cleanup

Lineage is deploying these measures at its own expense and initiative. 

Please visit our dedicated landing page for more information and to sign up for daily updates from Lineage

Cleanup Progress On Track At 90%

Cleanup began July 7, following turnover of site from LAFD

Lineage will spend at least $80 million to $100 million on cleanup

LOS ANGELES – August 10, 2026 – Since commencing cleanup on July 7, Lineage has removed approximately 90% percent of food waste from the Los Palos warehouse and continues to execute the fastest and safest possible cleanup. This is the result of more than five weeks of around-the-clock work by hundreds of contractors, cleanup crews and environmental experts working with Lineage team members to deploy equipment, expertise and resources at an unprecedented scale for a cleanup of this magnitude.

“The progress made in 35 days of cleanup is nothing short of extraordinary. A cleanup of this complexity and scale, at this speed, has never been executed before – with nearly 88 million pounds of food waste and debris needing to be safely extracted from a fire-damaged building structure and transported to multiple offsite locations – in multiple different states – for disposal. Lineage, its partners, and its contractors have provided every truck, deployed each of the hundreds of workers on site, and spearheaded the entire food removal and cleanup effort. At ninety percent, we are in the final stretch, and we will continue to tirelessly work until the job is done,” said Jeff Rivera, Lineage’s Chief Operating Officer.

Rivera added: “Lineage expects to spend at least $80 to $100 million on the cleanup, a commitment that reflects both our responsibility to the Boyle Heights community and our determination to finish the job right.” 

We are acutely aware that LAUSD schools in the area are scheduled to reopen this week and that residents have endured the effects of this fire for weeks. That is precisely why we have not slowed down. Every operational decision we are making —the hours crews work, the equipment deployed, and the traffic and odor and pest mitigation measures in place, are designed to complete the cleanup as quickly and as safely as possible.

Please visit our dedicated landing page to sign up for daily updates from Lineage, understand our odor and pest mitigation efforts, and learn about our community outreach efforts. 

Lineage Update Following AQMD Hearing Board Meeting

Today's order ratified an agreement in place ahead of the hearing, with some additional conditions as a result of public comment, between AQMD and Lineage. We are united in wanting to clear food waste as soon and safely as possible, mitigate odors in every way, and continue providing resources the impacted communities need. Much of what the AQMD order requires is already part of Lineage’s Odor Mitigation Plan, and we have been cooperatively working with AQMD to add to our efforts. We appreciate their continued collaboration and partnership as we progress with the cleanup.

Lineage’s presentation to AQMD is here.

Measures in Lineage’s existing Odor Mitigation Plan include:

• Fixed odor-control spray systems to deodorize the air and odorous material are deployed around the site, as well as a tracked robotic spray system
• Odor neutralizer is applied to waste materials multiple times each day
• Portions of the building are wrapped to help keep odors contained
• Nine industrial air scrubbers that pull air through carbon filters are activated to help absorb odors
• Water is collected and pumped into an onsite wastewater tank that is covered and connected to vapor recovery
• Daily cleaning of runoff collection areas, loading zones and drains, takes place
• The roll-off bins into which food waste is loaded are sealed immediately once full; these sealed bins then leave as soon as possible
• Once trucks are loaded, they promptly leave the facility in accord with approved truck routes, which will be available on our landing page starting Friday, August 7th.
• Continuous monitoring of air quality and sharing air monitoring data with both local regulators and the public occurs; air monitoring information and an interactive map is available here.

Since commencing cleanup on July 7, Lineage has removed approximately 85% of food and our goal is to complete bulk food waste removal from the site next week. Lineage expects to spend between $80 million and $100 million on cleanup efforts. 

Every day, hundreds of workers, contractors and experts are on-site working around the clock to accelerate the cleanup, reduce odors, protect public health, and provide direct assistance to impacted residents. To date, Lineage has provided more than $3.3 million in aid, which includes the distribution of:

• 207 cash-assistance cards totaling $207,000, which have been distributed via door-to-door outreach; residents who were not home when contacted were left a flyer with how to access their cash card at a time more convenient for them
• 1,223 grocery vouchers totaling $122,300
• 599 air purifiers
• 651 portable air-conditioning units
• 562 N95 masks
• 638 cases of bottled water
• ~350 fly traps

Lineage has conducted door-to-door outreach to the nearly 800 households closest to the warehouse — those identified by the City and County as being most directly impacted. To date, the outreach team has contacted approximately 87 percent of these households and continues to return to homes that have not yet been reached.

Eligible households are also offered temporary relocation assistance, utility bill assistance, pest-control supplies, and information about additional community resources in both English and Spanish. 

These direct neighborhood efforts build on the broader support Lineage has provided since the earliest days of the fire. Lineage contributed $2 million to the California Community Foundation, with funds distributed to more than 20 organizations (see the list) for air purifiers and PPE, food and household supplies, medical and mental health services, housing assistance, cash assistance, small business support, and community outreach. 

To support additional requests for temporary housing, Lineage donated $100,000 to United Way 211. In addition, Lineage has provided resources across the broader Boyle Heights community since the outset of the fire, including 655 air purifiers, 7,051 cases of bottled water, 2,533 prepared meals, 3,260 N95 masks, and 7,000 meal cases distributed through the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Community Communications

Lineage has consistently and transparently reported on its progress through the Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command led by the City of Los Angeles (which includes dozens of City and County departments as well as the Mayor’s Office, Supervisor District 1 and Council District 14), through daily reporting and multiple weekly meetings. A full list of agencies in receipt of daily progress reports is provided below.

Lineage has also prioritized transparency and open communication with the public, providing frequent, bilingual updates via dedicated website and social media channels, as well as direct channels like email, a bilingual phone line, and online request form for community members to ask questions and share concerns.

Pest Control

Lineage has expanded its pest-control efforts with support from Orkin to help reduce fly and rodent activity around the site and minimize impacts on nearby residents and businesses; some of the steps currently in place include:

• Daily fly-control treatments, with additional service added if needed
• Daily inspections of the property perimeter for signs of rodent activity
• Rodent-control devices installed around the site in strategic locations
• Up to 248 exterior fly-control devices installed, including bait stations and fly traps, to help reduce fly populations
• Targeted fly treatments around dumpsters, loading areas, drainage areas, fence lines, and other locations where flies are most active
• Ongoing monitoring to track pest activity and adjust control measures as needed
• Sanitation cleanup efforts to remove materials and conditions that can attract pests or create breeding areas

Government & Agency Transparency

Lineage has made transparency and open communication a priority throughout the response and recovery effort. We have maintained ongoing, consistent communication with local, county, state, and federal agencies, as well as elected officials, throughout the entire fire response, cleanup, and recovery process.

This includes:

• Publishing daily reports and regularly sharing information regarding site conditions, cleanup activities, air monitoring results, and recovery plans, while also responding to agency and stakeholder questions as part of an ongoing meeting schedule with the Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command, which includes representatives from many offices and agencies. Those offices and agencies include:
  • The Mayor's Office, Los Angeles City Council offices (including CD-14), the Emergency Management Department, Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Water and Power, Board of Public Works, Recreation and Parks, City Administrative Office, and City Attorney's Office. County participants have included the Office of Emergency Management, Department of Public Health, Department of Public Works, County Fire Department, Board of Supervisors staff, County Counsel, and other county agencies. State and regional partners have included Cal OES, CalEPA, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, among others.
• Participating in briefings, meetings, and site visits to provide updates and ensure officials have current information about response and recovery efforts. This includes:
  • A weekly meeting with representatives from CD-14, the Mayor’s Office, County Supervisor’s Office, and more than 20 Boyle Heights community organizations including Proyecto Pastoral, Dolores Mission, Inclusive Action, and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) focused on Lineage’s door-to-door canvassing and community impact efforts.
• A weekly meeting with representatives from CD-14, the Mayor’s Office, County Supervisor’s Office, LA Emergency Management Department (EMD), LA County Emergency Management (OEM), State Senator’s Office, LAUSD, LAFD and the Department of Public Health to discuss community impact efforts and overall cleanup progress.
• No agency officials who have requested a site tour or arrived unannounced have been turned away from inspecting the facility firsthand. We believe it is important that officials and regulators understand the complexity and challenges of this situation so we can work cooperatively on the fastest cleanup possible without sacrificing health, safety and regulatory compliance.

Our teams are working around the clock on cleanup and recovery and communicating the challenges we face to meet the 45-day deadline set in the Mayor’s executive order. To date, no city, county or state officials have offered resources that would expedite cleanup efforts beyond those that Lineage had already deployed.

Lineage Expects to Spend Between $80-100 Million on Cleanup

Lineage looks forward to briefing the South Coast AQMD Hearing Board tomorrow on the company's comprehensive cleanup and odor mitigation plans. In keeping with our commitment to full transparency, we are sharing the materials that will be reviewed with the AQMD Board. They will be available via the AQMD website prior to the hearing. 

Since commencing cleanup on July 7, Lineage has removed approximately 80% percent of food waste and continues to execute the fastest and safest possible cleanup. Our goal is to complete bulk food waste removal from the site next week. 

Every day, hundreds of workers, contractors and experts are on-site working around the clock to accelerate the cleanup, reduce odors, protect public health, and provide direct assistance to impacted residents. Our pest and odor mitigation efforts to date are detailed below.

Lineage today shared that the company expects to spend between $80 and $100 million on cleanup efforts.

Lineage has consistently and transparently reported on its progress through the Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command led by the City of Los Angeles (which includes dozens of City and County departments as well as the Mayor’s Office, Supervisor District 1 and Council District 14), through daily reporting and multiple weekly meetings. A full list of agencies in receipt of daily progress reports is provided below.

Lineage has also prioritized transparency and open communication with the public, providing frequent, bilingual updates via dedicated website and social media channels, as well as direct channels like email, a bilingual phone line, and online request form for community members to ask questions and share concerns.

To support the community through recovery, we have also provided more than $3.3 million in aid. More information on our community outreach efforts to date can be found below.

PEST & ODOR CONTROL MITIGATION EFFORTS INCLUDE:

• Fixed odor-control spray systems to deodorize the air and odorous material are deployed around the site, as well as a tracked robotic spray system
• Odor neutralizer is applied to waste materials multiple times each day
• Portions of the building are wrapped to help keep odors contained
• Nine industrial air scrubbers that pull air through carbon filters are activated to help absorb odors
• Water is collected and pumped into an onsite wastewater tank that is covered and connected to vapor recovery
• Daily cleaning of runoff collection areas, loading zones and drains, takes place
• The roll-off bins into which food waste is loaded are sealed immediately once full; these sealed bins then leave as soon as possible
• Once trucks are loaded, they promptly leave the facility in accord with approved truck routes
• Continuous monitoring of air quality and sharing air monitoring data with both local regulators and the public occurs; air monitoring information and an interactive map is available here
• Lineage has expanded its pest-control efforts with support from Orkin to help reduce fly and rodent activity around the site and minimize impacts on nearby residents and businesses; some of the steps currently in place include:
  • Daily fly-control treatments, with additional service added if needed
  • Daily inspections of the property perimeter for signs of rodent activity
  • Rodent-control devices installed around the site in strategic locations
  • Up to 248 exterior fly-control devices installed, including bait stations and fly traps, to help reduce fly populations
  • Targeted fly treatments around dumpsters, loading areas, drainage areas, fence lines, and other locations where flies are most active
  • Ongoing monitoring to track pest activity and adjust control measures as needed
  • Sanitation cleanup efforts to remove materials and conditions that can attract pests or create breeding areas

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

From the beginning, Lineage has been committed to helping in every way – starting with sourcing high-powered water cannons supported by a private firefighting crew from Texas, funding helicopters for water drops and, before the fire was out, distributing air purifiers and masks to the community, and feeding residents and firefighters.

Lineage’s community support efforts total more than $3.3 million.  

Lineage has conducted door-to-door outreach to the nearly 800 households closest to the warehouse — those identified by the City and County as being most directly impacted. To date, the outreach team has contacted approximately 87 percent of these households and continues to return to homes that have not yet been reached.

As of August 3, households in the immediate neighborhood have received:

• 599 air purifiers
• 651 portable air-conditioning units
• 562 N95 masks
• 638 cases of bottled water
• ~350 fly traps
• 1,223 grocery vouchers totaling $122,300
• 113 cash-assistance cards totaling $113,000

Eligible households are also offered temporary relocation assistance, utility bill assistance, pest-control supplies, and information about additional community resources.

These direct neighborhood efforts build on the broader support Lineage has provided since the earliest days of the fire. Lineage contributed $2 million to the California Community Foundation, with funds distributed to more than 20 organizations (see the list) for air purifiers and PPE, food and household supplies, medical and mental health services, housing assistance, cash assistance, small business support, and community outreach. 

To support requests for temporary housing, Lineage donated $100,000 to United Way 211. In addition, Lineage has provided resources across the broader Boyle Heights community, including 655 air purifiers, 7,051 cases of bottled water, 2,533 prepared meals, 3,260 N95 masks, and 7,000 meal cases distributed through the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. 

GOVERNMENT & AGENCY TRANSPARENCY

Lineage has made transparency and open communication a priority throughout the response and recovery effort. We have maintained ongoing, consistent communication with local, county, state, and federal agencies, as well as elected officials, throughout the entire fire response, cleanup, and recovery process.

This includes:

• Publishing daily reports and regularly sharing information regarding site conditions, cleanup activities, air monitoring results, and recovery plans, while also responding to agency and stakeholder questions as part of an ongoing meeting schedule with the Boyle Heights Unified Recovery Command, which includes representatives from many offices and agencies. Those offices and agencies include:
  • The Mayor's Office, Los Angeles City Council offices (including CD-14), the Emergency Management Department, Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Water and Power, Board of Public Works, Recreation and Parks, City Administrative Office, and City Attorney's Office. County participants have included the Office of Emergency Management, Department of Public Health, Department of Public Works, County Fire Department, Board of Supervisors staff, County Counsel, and other county agencies. State and regional partners have included Cal OES, CalEPA, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, among others.
• Participating in briefings, meetings, and site visits to provide updates and ensure officials have current information about response and recovery efforts. This includes:
  • A weekly meeting with representatives from CD-14, the Mayor’s Office, County Supervisor’s Office, and more than 20 Boyle Heights community organizations including Proyecto Pastoral, Dolores Mission, Inclusive Action, and Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) focused on Lineage’s door-to-door canvassing and community impact efforts.
• A weekly meeting with representatives from CD-14, the Mayor’s Office, County Supervisor’s Office, LA Emergency Management Department (EMD), LA County Emergency Management (OEM), State Senator’s Office, LAUSD, LAFD and the Department of Public Health to discuss community impact efforts and overall cleanup progress.
• No agency officials who have requested a site tour or arrived unannounced have been turned away from inspecting the facility firsthand. We believe it is important that officials and regulators understand the complexity and challenges of this situation so we can work cooperatively on the fastest cleanup possible without sacrificing health, safety and regulatory compliance.

Our teams are working around the clock on cleanup and recovery and communicating the challenges we face to meet the 45-day deadline set in the Mayor’s executive order. To date, no city, county or state officials have offered resources that would expedite cleanup efforts beyond those that Lineage had already deployed.

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