East LA family camps near beach to escape stench from Lineage warehouse destroyed in fire
PLAYA DEL REY, Calif. (KABC) -- A mother of four who lives near the Lineage food storage facility that burned down says she and her family are camping near the beach after the odor from rotting food became unbearable during this week's heat.
Stephanie Hernandez said the onshore breeze at Dockweiler Beach has provided relief after weeks of breathing the smell of once-frozen food now rotting in the summer sun.
"Not knowing what we're breathing or what our kids are breathing, it's just scary," said Hernandez.
"It really smells bad. I can't go outside," added one of her daughters.
Hernandez, her husband and their four children first sought refuge at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey, sleeping in their car until a friend loaned them an RV. She said the arrangement has been especially difficult with two children younger than 2, but the family felt they could no longer remain near the Boyle Heights warehouse.
Hernandez said the conditions have become intolerable.
"That night I texted you, which was two weeks ago on a Sunday, it was just bad. It was so bad. She was throwing up. I was throwing up. We just couldn't. I said I'm done. I'm done with this."
Residents affected by the odor have been told to call 211 to ask about housing vouchers available through a partnership with Airbnb. The company has contributed more than $1.5 million to help people displaced by the crisis so far. Hernandez said she called several times but has not yet received a response from a case manager.
"I made the request. They said we're going to have a case manager give you a call back. I had no update until you gave me an update on what was going on," she said.
County representatives shared with ABC7 that about 400 households have been offered temporary housing so far. However, Hernandez's home in East Los Angeles falls just outside the current eligibility area.
"If we feel the breeze, the breeze is going this way, towards East L.A. and Commerce. Not going backwards to Boyle Heights. So a lot of the people I have talked to, they're saying the smell feels stronger towards East L.A.," Hernandez said.
Lineage said it has removed more than half of the 85 million pounds of rotting food waste. The company also said it is continuing door-to-door outreach to provide housing support, pest-control supplies, air purifiers and other resources to nearly 800 homes closest to the warehouse.
In a statement, the company said that as of July 28, its door-to-door program had distributed the following to affected households:
- 594 air purifiers
- 645 portable air-conditioning units
- 559 N95 masks
- 633 cases of bottled water
- 1,215 grocery vouchers worth $100 each
- 113 cash-assistance cards totaling $113,000
"I hope they make the map bigger because a lot of people are affected," Hernandez added.
In the meantime, Hernandez said she is trying to make the most out of a difficult situation, on behalf of her kids.
"We're saying we're doing a summer camp by the beach. So tonight we'll try to do a bonfire and make it fun for them," she said.
Representatives from 211 told ABC7 they are looking into expanding the housing-voucher eligibility area. They also said they would review Hernandez's case to determine what other assistance she and her family might qualify for.
