Anger, frustration boil over at town hall over Boyle Heights warehouse fire

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Frustration and anger spilled over at a tense town hall meeting in Boyle Heights on Thursday, as residents demanded answers about an ongoing cleanup effort following a warehouse fire that left millions of pounds of food rotting in summer heat.

Community members packed the meeting, complaining about the smell from the site and pressing officials for a timeline to resolve the situation. Many described their neighborhood as a disaster area and said they believe the response has fallen short.

The meeting began chaotically, with frustrated residents storming the auditorium and booing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as she took the stage.

In addition to updates from the mayor, the town hall was supposed to include presentations from other elected leaders, agencies and Lineage, the company that operates the facility. The warehouse contains 85 million pounds of once-frozen food that is now decomposing after the fire.

Throughout the meeting, speakers were frequently interrupted by residents demanding action.

"Clean it up! Clean it up!" attendees chanted.

Presentations were ultimately cut short, and the meeting moved to a question-and-answer session.

One resident asked whether city leaders would commit to shutting down the facility after the cleanup is completed. That question remains unanswered.

Lineage Chief Operating Officer Jeff Rivera apologized to residents and acknowledged the community's concerns.

"I understand the uncertainty, the frustration and the disruption that it's caused, and I am sorry. I am sorry for the disruption this has caused. I'm here tonight because I know there's information you want answered, so I'm working on answering those questions directly," Rivera said.

The company said it has removed 1.4 million pounds of waste so far and is working to meet a 45-day deadline set by the city for cleanup efforts.

In addition to $2.5 million in disaster relief, Lineage said it will provide housing vouchers, air purifiers, masks, grocery vouchers, cash assistance and utility support for affected residents.

The mayor's office said mobile clinics are being expanded in the area to assist people who may be experiencing health issues related to the situation.

Despite those announcements, tensions remained high through the end of the meeting.

"I am very disgusted with how this response has played out in real time," one resident said.

Another attendee urged cooperation.

"As long as we continue to shout and scream, we're not going to get anything done correctly... please, please we have to work together," the resident said.