Massive Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Sparks State Of Emergency: Mayor

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a declaration of local emergency Saturday as a large warehouse fire in Boyle Heights continued to rage on.

The declaration was issued, Bass said, to ensure that the city has the resources needed in the days ahead to continue making progress to put out the blaze.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a fire at a large single-story commercial building at 1400 S Los Palos Street, following an alarm at 2:35 p.m., fire officials said.

Upon arrival, firefighters found fire visible from the roof of the 1,000-foot by 500-foot structure, officials said.

Crews initially engaged in offensive suppression; however, about 15 minutes into the operation, a suspected ammonia leak prompted incident command "to order a defensive posture," the LAFD said.

LAFD personnel worked to locate and mitigate the source while suppression continued, officials said.

As a precaution, the fire building and adjacent businesses were evacuated in the early stages of the incident, the LAFD said.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area, with advisories extended to surrounding areas to the north and east. officials said.

Next, incident command later lifted all orders and advisories, and residents and employees were able to safely return.

Air and water quality monitoring were slated to continue during all further operations, officials said.

"The sheer size of this structure (identified as a cold-storage facility) largely prevented effective ground access, necessitating an unconventional approach. Though not typically deployed in structure fires due to safety concerns, LAFD helicopters performed water drops to knock down the bulk of the flames," the LAFD said.

While the fire was initially largely under control within six hours, extended suppression and overhaul operations were expected, the LAFD said.

On Thursday, an LAFD spokesperson said firefighters were again battling the blaze. The Los Angeles Fire Department posted on X Thursday that they were continuing to battle a "massive commercial structure fire."

On Friday, the LAFD said wind had caused a flare-up.

On Saturday, the LAFD posted: "LAFD crews continue to work diligently on the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. The smell of smoke has reached most of the city, and we encourage everyone to limit exposure as much as possible. "

Bass elaborated on the emergency declaration: "While the LAFD continues making progress, this is a major, multi-jurisdictional incident. I’m issuing an emergency declaration to ensure the city has the resources it needs as this operation continues and to keep the community safe,” said Bass. "The city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue working around the clock and doing everything possible to put this fire out completely."

"This emergency declaration is crucial because Boyle Heights is not just responding to a fire. Residents have lived through days of smoke, shelter-in-place orders, disruptions to daily life, and ongoing questions about what this means for their health and well-being," said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights. "I will continue pushing every level of government to bring the resources this community needs so that emergency response, air monitoring, hazardous debris removal, environmental remediation, and public health protections move forward with urgency. Boyle Heights deserves clear information, direct support, and full accountability throughout the response, cleanup, and recovery process."

The city has opened a Smoke Relief Center at the Pecan Recreation Center, located at 145 S Pecan Street in Los Angeles, open 24 hours a day until further notice. The County of Los Angeles has also opened a Smoke Respite Center at City Terrace Park. located at 1126 N Hazard Avenue in Los Angeles.

According to the declaration,the incident involved a large commercial cold-storage facility containing refrigeration systems, rooftop solar-panel infrastructure, and other industrial equipment, creating complex and hazardous firefighting condition.

During firefighting operations, emergency responders encountered hazardous materials concerns, including the release and off-gassing of ammonia associated with refrigeration systems, requiring specialized hazardous materials response and air monitoring, the declaration said.

The fire generated a substantial smoke plume visible throughout the Los Angeles region, resulting in a shelter-in place order and smoke and particle pollution advisories affecting residents, schools, businesses, and vulnerable populations throughout Boyle Heights and neighboring communities, the declaration said.

"The presence of a solar array on the roof, hazardous materials and lithium-ion batteries on site, and approximately 85 million pounds of decaying food products contribute to an incident at this facility beyond the mitigation capabilities of traditional firefighting equipment and methods," the declaration said.