A fire in a Washington state cold-storage facility run by the same company that owns the warehouse burning in Boyle Heights caused health hazards and environmental impacts months after the fire was extinguished, according to an attorney representing residents, raising questions about the far-reaching impact of the blaze on the greater Los Angeles area.
A Lineage Logistics cold-storage facility caught fire in Finley, Washington, in April 2024. Attorney Will Sykes told Northwest Public Broadcasting last year that the building contained ammonia, plastic pallets, insulation and other materials that could be toxic when burned.
His team was also testing well water for contamination after earlier tests showed E. coli and bacteria. Sykes told Northwest Public Broadcasting the water may have been contaminated by runoff from the millions of gallons of water used to douse the flames.
Residents said they moved into temporary housing because of contamination, including tainted well water. They also reported livestock, pets, plants and trees dying since the fire, according to the outlet’s report.
Finley residents who lived near the warehouse previously reported emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia and sinus infections as a result of the fire, which burned for nearly two months. Clean-up efforts continued into October 2024. One resident, Scott Matthews, told Northwest Public Broadcasting that community members smelled chemicals on their clothes and in their homes after the blaze was put out.
“The heaviness of the smoke. The chemical burn of the smoke. It would burn your sinuses. You could feel it in the back of your throat. Headaches, nosebleeds, eye irritation,” Matthews told the outlet.
A Lineage Logistics spokesperson responded to an email Sunday from the Southern California News Group inquiring about the 2024 Finley fire with a statement saying the company was working with Los Angeles city and county officials to help the community, including bringing in high-powered water cannons from Texas, funding helicopter water drops and partnering with other industrial companies to secure more fire suppression equipment. The statement did not address questions about the Finley fire.
Lineage Logistics said in the statement that the company pumped ammonia out of the Boyle Heights facility and transported it offsite and there has been no measurable ammonia concentrations in the area since the fire broke out. The company also said it donated $2 million to the California Community Foundation to help community members affected by the fire.
“Our commitment to this community does not end here,” the statement said. “We will continue to share relevant updates as they emerge, and we will continue to work with officials and stakeholders on the emergency response and the community response in any way we can.”
Since the warehouse fire ignited Wednesday in Boyle Heights, communities across Los Angeles County, residents have wrestled with health concerns as their neighborhood has been blanketed in smoke. Monica Medina, who lives near the facility, said the inside of her home reeked of smoke even with the windows closed.
Medina and other community members sought refuge at emergency smoke relief shelters opened at City Terrace Park and the Pecan Recreation Center.
State and local officials made emergency declarations over the weekend, hoping to bolster emergency and public health resources and assist firefighters as they continue to battle the difficult blaze. Los Angeles fire officials said Sunday that firefighting operations were expected to last several more days at the 500,000 square-foot warehouse. They said they hope to fully exinguish the fire and mitigate all hazards by the end of the week.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District again extended an air quality advisory through at least Monday at 12:30 p.m., warning smoke could continue to impact communities across the region. Depending on wind direction, smoke could impact residents in the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, other portions of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.