Many residents blame the city for what they deem an inadequate response to the fire and a lack of transparency and resources.

"I understand why residents are frustrated," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told the BBC in a statement. "They deserve transparency, clear communication, and meaningful support. Since day one, I have been in Boyle Heights listening to residents, meeting with families, and making sure their voices guide our response."

The mayor, who is up for re-election this year, said she directed city departments to work with local, state, federal, nonprofit and community partners to deliver immediate support and solutions.

Bass has also issued executive orders to mobilise resources and speed up the cleaning process. The city says they and other local partners have brought mobile health clinics to the neighbourhood and delivered thousands of air purifiers.

Late last month, the county's public health department fined Lineage for "unsanitary and nuisance" conditions with $500-a-day citations.

The mayor has given Lineage a 13 August deadline to complete the cleanup. The company said on Monday that it was 80% of the way there - up from 60% on 31 July.

"Our goal is to complete bulk food waste removal from the site next week," a Lineage spokesperson told the BBC on Wednesday. It expects to spend $80m-$100m (£59m-£74m) on the cleanup.

Outside the warehouse, dozens of workers in hard hats and neon vests can be seen tackling the effort, some wearing face coverings. Officials with the local air quality authority and sheriff's office were also on-site.

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