Spencer Pratt Blasts Bass Over LA Fire

Jay Heike, Unsplash

A massive warehouse fire in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles entered its fifth day Sunday, choking the city in toxic smoke and threatening a full-scale biohazard crisis. As emergency crews fought to keep the burning structure from collapsing, one voice rose above the chaos to demand accountability: Spencer Pratt, who refused to let Mayor Karen Bass off the hook for what he called a pattern of failure and neglect.

The blaze broke out Wednesday at Lineage Logistics’ 500,000-square-foot cold storage facility east of downtown Los Angeles. Inside, 85 million pounds of frozen bread and meat have been decaying, raising fears of a public health crisis that one toxicologist called “really unprecedented.” It is exactly the kind of crisis Pratt says was preventable, and exactly the kind Bass, he argues, has repeatedly failed to stop.

While city leaders scrambled for answers, Spencer Pratt stepped forward with the courage to say what many were thinking: that Mayor Karen Bass bears direct responsibility for a crisis he believes her decisions helped create.

A City Choking on Toxic Smoke

The smoke has spread well beyond Los Angeles County, reaching the San Gabriel Valley and northwest San Bernardino Valley. It even drifted over Dodger Stadium, where manager Dave Roberts said the haze looked like “Gotham City.”

Residents reported burning throats and a smell “like chemicals and plastic.” The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned about dangerous particle pollution, and officials urged people to stay indoors.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said air quality testing found no additional toxic chemicals in the smoke. Still, experts cautioned that it is hard to know exactly what is mixed into the plume.

“Much like recent industrial and wildfire incidents, the makeup of the smoke can include toxic chemicals, fine particles, and other serious risks to lung health depending on fire conditions and what is burned,” Will Barrett of the American Lung Association told the Los Angeles Times.

The Biohazard Threat Inside

Firefighters have spent days drenching the facility with water, which slowly eroded the building’s structural integrity. By Sunday afternoon, crews had contained the blaze to one side of the structure.

The bigger worry now is the millions of pounds of spoiled meat sitting inside. Michael Kleinman, a toxicologist and professor, said the situation moves into untested territory if that material begins to burn.

“It’ll certainly be smelly and noxious, and bacteria and things are going to be growing in it,” Kleinman told the Los Angeles Times. “If the stuff starts to burn, it adds this biological material to the plumes, and you’re going off into territory that really is very untested.”

The LAFD is now planning how to remove the spoiled food, but warned the situation “remains a complex, long-duration incident that will require sustained operations.”

State and Local Officials Step In

Mayor Bass declared a local emergency Saturday afternoon to help the city secure resources. On Sunday, she said air filters and masks would be provided to Boyle Heights residents, and the city opened voluntary shelters.

“We will get through this, and we will always stand with the Boyle Heights community,” Bass said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Sunday morning, freeing up additional resources and assistance. The city also looked beyond California’s borders, securing aerial firefighting help and partnering with other companies to fund helicopters for continued water drops.

LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said the fire should be out by week’s end if progress continues at the current pace.

Pratt Points the Finger at Bass

Pratt seized on the moment, drawing a direct line between the warehouse fire and Bass’ handling of the Palisades Fire in January 2025. That earlier disaster, which destroyed his home, fueled his failed independent run for mayor.

“Karen was sipping cocktails in Chicago when the Boyle Heights fire erupted,” Pratt claimed, “just as she was sipping cocktails in Ghana when our Palisades Fire erupted.” Bass faced criticism for being in Ghana when the January fires broke out.

Bass had traveled to Chicago to attend the opening of Barack Obama’s presidential library. Pratt also took aim at the smoke itself, warning residents not to breathe it.

“I warned you all… what happened to us will happen to all of LA,” Pratt wrote. “That smoke choking out LA is full of lead. Don’t breathe it!”

A Familiar Political Fight

Pratt argued the spoiled food was less dangerous than the solar panels on the warehouse roof, which he said were “spewing out deadly heavy metals.” He also noted the same building had a fire two years earlier and accused “Karen Basura” of slashing the fire department’s budget.

Pratt rose to fame by attacking Bass over the Palisades Fire and running AI-generated campaign ads. He ultimately lost to Councilwoman Nithya Raman in a runoff.

Raman will now face Bass in the general election on Nov. 3, setting up a high-stakes showdown shaped, in part, by how voters judge the city’s fire response.

For now, residents face an uneasy wait as crews work to fully extinguish the blaze and remove the decaying food. Health officials continue to urge caution, especially for those with breathing problems.

The Boyle Heights fire has become more than a local emergency. It is a test of leadership, a campaign talking point, and a reminder of how quickly a single blaze can reshape a city’s political landscape.

As cleanup begins, the questions Pratt and others have raised about budgets, preparedness, and accountability are unlikely to fade with the smoke.

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