Hundreds of people living near the Lineage Logistics warehouse in Boyle Heights that burned for two weeks in June were treated at mobile clinics for fire-related maladies, including smoke inhalation and toxic exposure, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report from St. John’s Community Health, which dispatched three mobile clinics to the area after the fire erupted, found that 469 of 1,306 patients — roughly 36% — seen at the clinics were dealing with fire-related exposure issues, such as respiratory infections, eye disorders, persistent cough and asthma exacerbation.
According to the report, 26.6% of patients were diagnosed with toxic smoke exposure, while 24.5% were diagnosed with hazardous substance exposure.
“Dozens of patients (were) prescribed anxiety and/or sleep medication to treat acute stress post-fire, which was related to: environmental exposure, sleep disruption and insomnia, housing instability, lease termination requests, relocation concerns, ongoing uncertainty regarding environmental safety, and psychosocial distress associated with displacement and recovery,” according to the report.
St. John’s officials said the data was collected from patients who visited the mobile clinics between June 17, when the fire erupted, through July 31.
“Close to 40% of people we provided health care to had serious, acute, and devastating health problems,” Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s, said during a Tuesday news conference. “We know that acute health conditions, particularly those caused by intensive environmental exposure, lead to long-term chronic and deleterious health impacts that disable and damage the health of our communities.”