Cleanup crews from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health are hauling away roughly 85 million pounds of rotting food from the interior of a cold‑storage warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics in Boyle Heights. The massive removal effort follows a fire that damaged the facility in June 2026, two months after the blaze broke out.
The Lineage Logistics site, situated east of downtown Los Angeles, serves as a large‑scale refrigerated storage hub for perishable goods. When the fire ignited, the structure sustained significant damage, prompting a health inspection by county officials. Inspectors determined that the heat and subsequent loss of power had caused the stored food to spoil, creating a public‑health concern that required immediate action.
Teams from the county’s public‑health division began the cleanup in August 2026, deploying equipment capable of handling bulk food waste. Workers are systematically extracting the decayed product from the warehouse’s insulated chambers, loading it onto trucks for proper disposal. The operation is expected to continue for several days until the entire 85‑million‑pound load is cleared.
Officials note that the removal of the spoiled inventory is essential to prevent the spread of bacteria and pests that could affect nearby neighborhoods. The county’s involvement underscores the seriousness with which health agencies treat food‑safety incidents in industrial settings.
The fire that sparked this effort was contained after emergency responders extinguished the blaze, but the damage to the refrigeration system left the stored items vulnerable to rapid decay. Lineage Logistics has cooperated with the health department throughout the inspection and cleanup phases, adhering to mandated protocols for waste handling.
As the warehouse empties, the county will continue to monitor the site for any residual health risks. The cleanup marks the latest step in restoring the facility to safe operational status after the June incident.