Raman, who is running for mayor, said those who live near the burned Boyle Heights warehouse did not get accurate information from the city. Conan Nolan reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman visited a Boyle Heights neighborhood Thursday, more than 5 miles away from Council District 4 that she supervises, as she slammed LA Mayor Karen Bass' handling of the massive warehouse fire.
Raman, who is running to replace Bass as mayor, was not seen on cameras in Boyle Heights since the fire broke out inside the Lineage cold food storage facility on June 17. But the councilmember said she's had multiple meeting with affected residents.
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WATCH HERE“It smells like a garbage can," Raman said while standing outside Jim's Burgers off Indiana Street near the burned facility. "This is what it is like every hour and every day, and it is unbearable.”
The progressive councilmember said Boyle Heights neighbors have complained to her about the stench, an infestation of rats and flies as well as health problems.
"What I’ve learned is that they did not get accurate information regarding the risks of this fire," Raman said. "The mayor repeatedly told people that the air was safe. That people didn’t need a mask, not mandatory evacuation was ordered."
Raman added every single person she spoke with in the neighborhood experienced health issues from the fire.
"Residents say every single one of them faced health impacts, everything from scratchy throats and runny eyes to hospital visits, the councilmember said.
In response to Raman's criticism, the mayor's office strongly defended Bass' response and handling of the warehouse fire -- from offering vouchers for temporary housing to over 1,100 high-impact residents to deploying mobile health screen clinics while offering free air purifiers, masks and financial assistance to the businesses in the area.
Raman also slammed Bass' connection to a Los Angeles-based communications strategist who is now reportedly handling crisis management for Lineage Logistics, the warehouse's owner. Yusef Robb, who was a communicators director for former Mayor Eric Garcetti, reportedly served as an unpaid consultant to Mayor Bass while working for Lineage, gaining access to internal discussions within the mayor's office. NBC Los Angeles did not independently confirm the report.
Raman suggested that Bass' connections to Lineage via Robb affected the mayor's oversight into handling the fire aftermath.
“Boyle Heights residents deserve answers as to whether Lineage influenced the advice that was given to residents and influenced the actions of the city," Raman said.
The mayoral challenger attempted to link what happened in Boyle Heights is emblematic of a larger management problem at City Hall, similar to how Bass handled the Palisades Fire.
"It appears the Mayors office is not prepared to move fast enough during a crisis," Raman said.
