"The Boyle Heights and Garden Grove emergencies are raising questions about emergency planning, inspections and accountability. The real test of California’s chemical safety system comes after the smoke clears, experts say."
"Manuel Valle, 84, jumped on his bike and rode through his Boyle Heights neighborhood despite the protests from his worried children. The air was smoky, for the fifth day in a row; he pushed through fits of coughing to pass out 50 N95 masks to his neighbors.
The same day, officials told residents that the air was not dangerous, and that the smoke was clearing out. Valle didn’t agree.
“This is a state emergency,” he said. “Treat it like a state emergency.”
Fire had ignited at a facility, operated by the company Lineage, which stores food before it’s shipped off to restaurants and grocery stores. Lineage uses the toxic refrigerant anhydrous ammonia, which posed a health risk in the early hours of the fire."
Alejandra Reyes-Velarde reports for CalMatters June 27, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"ER Visits Spiked During Toxic Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire" (Los Angeles Times)
