Heal the Bay Statement on Water Quality Following the Lineage Logistics Fire
Our Science & Policy team has issued the following statement regarding water quality monitoring in the wake of the Lineage Logistics fire in Boyle Heights.
Please take a moment to read the full statement.
If you have questions about our monitoring, findings, or the River Report Card, feel free to contact us at science@healthebay.org. Our team will continue to monitor conditions and share updates as new information becomes available.
Heal the Bay Statement on Water Quality Following the Lineage Logistics Fire
Following the recent fire at the Lineage cold storage warehouse facility in Boyle Heights, and the resulting local state of emergency, many community members have expressed concerns about environmental and public health impacts from the smoke as well as the runoff from firefighting efforts.
The fire, which began on June 17 and burned for 8 days, occurred during Heal the Bay’s regular summer water quality monitoring through our River Report Card program that helps track recreational water quality conditions to inform the public. We monitor water quality at six sites along the Lower Los Angeles River, including Riverfront Park, our monitoring site closest to the Lineage Fire and downstream of the affected area.
Our weekly monitoring measures water clarity (turbidity), bacteria levels, water temperature, flow and other visual site conditions. While this monitoring helps us understand recreational water quality, we do not test heavy metals, PFAS, or other fire-related contaminants.
Our data showed increased flows and turbidity, and a sharp increase in bacteria levels on June 24 & 25, compared to the pre-fire samples taken on June 11. In our most recent sampling on July 8 & 9, water clarity had recovered, and bacteria returned to normal for dry-weather conditions, though water remains unsafe for contact – typical conditions for this part of the watershed.
We are also aware of reports that low pH levels were detected downstream of fire, possibly contributing to a fish die-off in the Los Angeles River and Dominguez Gap Wetlands.
While we cannot definitively attribute all of these water quality changes to the fire at this time, the elevated bacteria levels and other reported water quality concerns warrant caution. Heal the Bay added warnings to all River Report Card sites downstream of the fire. Until more is known, we recommend avoiding contact with river water in affected areas.
We recognize and appreciate the work of local community organizations, scientists, and advocates who have been raising concerns about impacts to downstream communities. We share ongoing concerns about the large quantities of spoiled food that remain onsite, with potential impacts to surrounding communities and waterways. We are reaching out to local partners to learn more about ongoing community monitoring efforts and to identify ways we can support and help amplify community-led work.
Heal the Bay will continue its regular River Report Card monitoring and provide updated water quality information as new data become available.
