LAUSD shares results of environmental testing near Boyle Heights warehouse fire before start of school year

With just hours until the start of the new school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District has shared results of its environmental testing on school campuses near the spot of June's warehouse fire in Boyle Heights.

According to the 561-page Environmental Assessment Report conducted on Aug. 10, 2026, LAUSD's Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) conducted extensive testing at 10 schools within a three-mile radius of the Lineage cold storage warehouse, which was partially destroyed by a large fire in June that burned for nearly a week and left more than 85 million pounds of rotting food behind. 

The results of those tests were then compared to an 11th school campus, which was located outside of the radius and used as a reference site. 

In all, OEHS officials said that they found lead levels higher than California's "acceptable" 80-milligram threshold at two elementary schools — City Terrace and Christopher Dena. 

"Based on the findings of this environmental assessment, OEHS concludes that the assessed schools remain safe for occupancy and that the Lineage fire did not result in widespread residual contamination or conditions at LAUSD campuses posing a health hazard to students or staff," the report said. 

OEHS and LAUSD officials collaborated with research groups from USC and UCLA for their report, and testing plans were formulated by a team of LAUSD officials, a certified industrial hygienist and a licensed geologist. 

Testing results

Ten of the 53 LAUSD schools located within a three-mile radius of the Lineage site were selected based on their "proximity to the fire location and their position relative to prevailing wind patterns that could have influenced movement of the smoke plume and the deposition of fire-related contaminants," according to the report. The schools where testing was conducted include:

• Belvedere Middle School
• Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School
• Christopher Dena Elementary School
• City Terrace Elementary School
• Dacotah Early Education Center
• Eastman Avenue Early Education Center
• Eastman Avenue Elementary School
• Humphreys Avenue Elementary School
• Robert Louis Stevenson College and Career Prep
• Theodore Roosevelt High School

San Pedro Street Elementary School, which is more than three-and-a-half miles from the Lineage warehouse, was selected as the reference site for testing.

OEHS personnel began environmental monitoring tests while the fire, which ignited on June 17, was still active to track information on fire-related contaminants in the air like fine particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and gases. Then, between July 28 and August 7, they collected air samples from indoor and outdoor locations on the school campuses, dust wipe samples from "high-touch surface areas" and soil samples from unpaved areas and gardens. 

Air samples were analyzed for ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen fluoride, while dust wipe and soil samples were tested for selected metals, like lead and manganese, the report said. 

• They found ammonia on three school campuses, but said that when compared to regional air data provided by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, their findings did not indicate persistent or widespread conditions that could constitute a health hazard.
• Formaldehyde was found in both indoor and outdoor air samples, but officials said that their findings are common in indoor air due to off-gassing from furniture and building materials, and were not indicative of a fire-related source.
• Lead and manganese were detected in "a limited number" of dust wipe samples and registered below the applicable regulatory action levels, the report said. 
• Soil samples from the two elementary school campuses, City Terrace and Christopher Dena, exceeded the applicable regulatory screening levels of lead, which were flagged for further evaluation. They noted that the "remaining isolated detections" did not indicate widespread deposition or lead contamination associated with the fire. 

At City Terrace Elementary, OEHS said that 170 mg/kg were detected, more than double the California Department of Toxic Substances Control's applicable screening level. At Christopher Dena Elementary, they found 120 mg/kg. Officials said they do not believe the discoveries were consistent with wind-driven deposits from the fire. 

"The limited distribution of the elevated results is therefore more consistent with historical or site-specific urban deposition than recent, widespread deposition from the Lineage fire," according to the report. "The findings do not indicate widespread lead contamination across the Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles school sites associated with the fire."

While awaiting further testing, LAUSD said that the areas where elevated lead concentrations were discovered would be restricted from access until further evaluation. 

What's next for LAUSD campuses and Lineage warehouse

OEHS officials recommended that campuses continue with routine cleaning and heating, ventilation and air conditioning filter maintenance if the odors from the rotting food and burnt-out warehouse persist. Additionally, they advised that school staff utilize portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)/activated-carbon air purifiers and limit outdoor activities if needed. 

LAUSD students return to school on Wednesday, starting the 2026-27 school year. District officials said that both South Coast AQMD and the Environmental Protection Agency were given access to school campuses so they could install stationary air monitors to continue collecting data. 

Additionally, the district notes that HVAC filters at schools most affected by the fire have been replaced and that portable air purifiers equipped with both HEPA and activated carbon filtration systems were provided to campuses. 

Last week, South Coast AQMD officials approved an order of abatement that gave Lineage Logistics until Aug. 21 to complete the cleanup process and an additional week to fully sanitize what remains of the once-500,000-square-foot warehouse. If they are unable to comply with those guidelines, AQMD officials can fine Lineage up to $70,000 per violation related to the putrid smell coming from the warehouse and the spoiled food. To date, AQMD said that they have been issued 25 notices of violation for the smell. They have also been cited for rodent and pest control violations connected to the smell, which has brought an influx of rats and flies to surrounding neighborhoods.

On Tuesday, Lineage officials said that 90% of cleanup had been completed. The process began on July 7. 

Tentative rebuilding plans that were submitted by Lineage were temporarily put on hold by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in July. She said that plans to build at the site would not move forward until a thorough investigation of the property could be conducted and once future use was reviewed. In June, she gave Lineage a 45-day cleanup timeline, which would be on Friday, August 13.