Neighbors near the Lineage fire are dealing with odors and pests. The next challenge: extreme heat

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

When the smoke from the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights cleared, Guido Borjas, 71, and his family began noticing the smell of rotting food and the sound of flies buzzing around.

“I live five houses down from the damaged area and the flies bother us,” Borjas said. “I haven’t seen any rats but it won’t be long before they come out.”

Now, nearly a month after the start of the fire, residents fear this week’s extreme heat will worsen the odors and attract more pests. 

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an Extreme Heat Warning starting on Tuesday morning through Thursday evening for much of Los Angeles County, with temperatures expected to climb above 90 degrees. The agency warned of a high risk of heat-related illness, especially for children, older adults, and people without air conditioning.

Borjas said his family has stayed home with doors closed because of the smell. With no air conditioning at home, the coming days will be especially difficult. 

On Monday, he walked home with an air purifier and water bottles from a pop-up resource center organized by the offices of Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, just blocks from his home. 

A resident picks up air purifiers from a pop-up resource center in Boyle Heights on July 13, 2026.

(

Isaac Ceja

/

Boyle Heights Beat

)

Bass said the city has opened cooling centers for residents, including those impacted by the Lineage fire, and encouraged people to call 3-1-1 if they need more information.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who serves unincorporated East L.A., said she directed the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to activate cooling centers serving impacted residents. (Scroll down to find a cooling center near you).

The Mayor’s office also said crews have installed misters inside and around  the building to reduce odors from food waste until it is moved off-site. In addition, 250 bait stations have been installed around the warehouse perimeter and in the immediate neighborhood to monitor pest activity. 

Oscar Ordoñez, 40, owner of the taco pop-up Taquiza Nice, said he can no longer set up at his usual spot across from the Lineage warehouse on Los Palos Street and Union Pacific Ave and has lost customers.

The East Los Angeles resident lives with his family on Alma Street just blocks away from the warehouse and said that the smell is stronger in that direction.

“You turn on the air and all the smell from outside is entering your house and you leave for a long time and when you open the door, the house smells like something that’s gone bad,” Ordoñez said.

Although he usually doesn’t like asking for help, Ordoñez said financial assistance would help pay his bills as he struggles to find work. 

Maria Zavala, 42, said she wants the spoiled food cleaned up as soon as possible before the heat makes conditions worse. 

“I wish the owner would come and sit in the house one day to see what we’re going through,” Zavala said. “You can’t even eat. Why? Because you can imagine that awful smell right there at the table.”

She also questioned why misters have not been installed closer to Ditman Avenue where she lives. 

“No one has come through the streets where we live; no one has stopped by to ask, ‘Do you need any help? Do you need food? Do you need anything?’ Absolutely no one has come by,” Zavala said.

Cooling Centers in East Los Angeles

Centro Maravilla Service Center

East Los Angeles Library

East Los Angeles Service Center

City Terrace Park

Salazar Park

Cooling Centers in Boyle Heights

Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library

Malabar Branch Library