LOS ANGELES —Today, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado addressed the ongoing warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, emphasizing that the crisis is not over and that residents continue to need supplies, support, and urgent answers about air quality, public health risks, and the cause of the fire.
“This fire has been burning since last Wednesday, and I want to be very clear: this crisis is not over,” said Councilmember Jurado. “Families are still dealing with smoke, odor, ash, closed parks and community spaces, disrupted routines, and serious concerns about what they are breathing. People are tired. They are anxious. And they deserve answers.”
Councilmember Jurado thanked firefighters, emergency responders, public safety workers, City and County partners, and neighboring agencies for their continued response. She also emphasized that the emergency response must remain focused on the lived experience of Boyle Heights residents, particularly those living on the blocks most acutely impacted by the fire.
“My office has been out in the community distributing masks and air purifiers, connecting residents to smoke relief resources, and prioritizing the blocks most acutely impacted by this fire — including homes directly across from the warehouse,” said Jurado. “As of today, through Boyle Heights City Hall, we have distributed more than 23,000 masks and more than 500 air purifiers. That is important progress, but it is not enough.”
The Councilmember said the community continues to need masks, air purifiers, air filters, and direct support for families, seniors, workers, tenants, and small businesses living with the ongoing impacts of the fire.
Jurado also called for urgent transparency around air quality and what materials may have burned inside the warehouse.
“Residents are seeing smoke, smelling odors, and finding ash and debris near their homes and businesses. Yet we still do not have clear enough information about what burned, what may still be burning, what is in the air, what is in the ash, and what risks remain,” said Jurado. “It is still unclear whether toxic items like lithium-ion batteries, insulation, chemicals, building materials, or other hazardous materials have been burning or polluting the air during this process. That is unacceptable.”
The Councilmember said she is not speculating or overclaiming facts that have not been confirmed by agencies, but is demanding clear, public answers.
“Boyle Heights residents should not have to guess what they are breathing,” said Jurado. “They should not have to rely on rumors, scattered updates, incomplete information, or technical reports they cannot understand in order to make decisions about their health and their families.”
Jurado expressed frustration that residents have received information that has been limited, unclear, and at times contradictory since the fire began.
“If agencies have testing results, those results need to be released publicly,” said Jurado. “They need to be released in English and Spanish. And they need to be explained in plain language so residents understand what they mean for their children, their elders, their homes, their businesses, and their health.”
The Councilmember also addressed Lineage’s public statement that the company believes the fire started on the roof while subcontractors were servicing the solar array.
“That may be their statement, but it cannot be the final word,” said Jurado. “Residents deserve an independent investigation into who was working there, what work was being done, who was responsible for that equipment, and whether any safety or oversight failures contributed to this disaster.”
“A company statement is not an investigation, and Boyle Heights deserves more than finger-pointing,” Jurado added.
This week, Councilmember Jurado is launching a series of legislative motions in the City Council focused on answers, accountability, and immediate relief.
The motions will call for:
- Public release of air quality and environmental testing results in English and Spanish;
- A full public report on what materials were present at the facility, what burned or may still be burning, and what potential health and environmental risks remain;
- Answers about the cause of the fire, the facility’s compliance history, inspections that occurred, and whether oversight systems were strong enough for a facility of this size and nature;
- Immediate steps, including transit support, to reduce the amount of time residents are forced to spend outside during the emergency.
“This is not just a fire response issue,” said Jurado. “This is a public health issue. It is an accountability issue. And it is an environmental justice issue.”
Jurado noted that Boyle Heights already carries significant environmental burdens, including freeways, warehouses, industrial land uses, rail corridors, and pollution sources that have shaped daily life in the community for generations.
“When a major industrial fire happens here, the response cannot be slow, vague, or incomplete,” said Jurado. “Boyle Heights deserves the same urgency, transparency, and protection as any other community in Los Angeles.”
Councilmember Jurado said her office will continue pushing for answers, resources, and accountability throughout the emergency response, cleanup, and recovery process.
“We will continue distributing supplies. We will continue connecting residents to resources. And we will continue demanding clear answers from every agency and every responsible party involved,” said Jurado. “Boyle Heights deserves the truth. Boyle Heights deserves protection. And Boyle Heights deserves a government response that treats this community with the urgency and respect it deserves.”