Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Prompts Shelter-In-Place After Ammonia Leak Warning

A warehouse fire burning in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles has been burning since Wednesday at the 490,000-square-foot Lineage Logistics cold storage facility, and authorities said they were concerned about the building’s structural integrity after days of water being used to douse the flames.

“Smoke from warehouse fire continues to drift beyond Boyle Heights Three days after the fire erupted at the sprawling warehouse, a large column of smoke on Saturday continued to rise into the air above Boyle Heights and drift into areas that are miles away from the scene”

ABC7 Los Angeles

The fire ignited solar panels on the roof and prompted a shelter-in-place order due to heavy, toxic smoke, while Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said residents were warned of an ammonia leak after the fire reached a line and caused offgassing.

ABC7 Los Angeles

Fire service and fire department officials said firefighters could not get inside the building because of zero visibility, with Moore saying, "Our firefighters are not able to just go in there and start moving pallets."

Moore also said the facility contained "85 million pounds of frozen food inside of this facility" and that the solar panels covering the roof made firefighting more difficult.

By late Thursday afternoon, the shelter-in-place order was reinstated as crews worked to ventilate hazardous smoke, and it was later lifted late Friday despite multiple flare-ups on the roof overnight.

Three days after the fire erupted, ABC7 Los Angeles reported smoke continued to rise above Boyle Heights and drift into areas miles away, while LAFD Chief Jaime Moore described the cold storage facility as "like a giant cooler."

Moore said ammonia was used as a refrigerant to keep the 85 million pounds of frozen food inside the building cold, and he said helicopters had been performing water drops as the foam continued to burn.

FOX 11 Los Angeles

ABC7 Los Angeles also quoted LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman saying, "there are no additional toxic chemicals or hazards within that smoke other than normal structure fire smoke," while urging residents to take precautions to avoid the smoke whenever possible.

The Los Angeles Times reported the South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a Particle Pollution Advisory until 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, and it quoted AQMD saying a change in wind direction may push smoke toward Southeast Los Angeles County.

The Times also reported that L.A. County Health Officer Muntu Davis said the main public health concern was smoke and fine particles that can irritate the ears, nose, throat and lungs, and it cited guidance to wear well-fitting N95 and P100 masks.

As the fire continued to spew smoke across the metro area, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and said he was directing state agencies to provide "additional assistance and resources" to help battle the blaze in Boyle Heights.

“Firefighters have been battling a fire at a cold storage facility in Boyle Heights for days, and as the flames are extinguished, the building’s structural integrity is becoming more and more of a concern”

KTLA

The Guardian reported that Newsom’s statement followed an earlier state of emergency announced by Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, and it quoted Councilmember Ysabel Jurado saying, "This emergency declaration is crucial because Boyle Heights is not just responding to a fire."

KTLA reported that as flames were extinguished, structural integrity became more of a concern, with LAFD officials saying crews identified areas of wall instability due to the significant volume of water being applied to the structure.

KTLA also said a particle pollution advisory was in effect until Monday at 12:30 p.m., and it quoted LAFD Captain Branden Silverman saying, "all of our air monitoring has shown that there are no additional toxic chemicals or hazards within that smoke other than normal structure fire smoke."

Even after the fire is fully put out, officials said the next step would be to remove millions of pounds of spoiled food stored inside the facility, and KTLA described the situation as a "complex, long-duration incident that will require sustained operations."