Crime & Safety
Pollution Advisory Remains In Effect After Boyle Heights Fire
Large swaths of Los Angeles County could be impacted by poor air quality following the massive warehouse fire.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, CA — A particle pollution advisory remained in effect Thursday as the Los Angeles Fire Department continued its work to fully extinguish a fire that erupted at a cold-food processing and storage facility in Boyle Heights.
The fire was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lineage cold-storage in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street, and the firefight involved dozens of helicopter water drops, a tactic rarely used outside of wildfire incidents, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
According to the fire department, the blaze cannot be categorized as knocked down, but officials lifted the shelter-in-place order for the residents in the area.
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The fire rapidly spread across solar paneling on the roof of the sprawling warehouse, while an ammonia leak erupted inside the building and thick smoke billowed into the air, prompting shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and businesses.
A particle pollution advisory issued about 5 p.m. was set to expire at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
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"Smoldering material may continue to affect air quality directly downwind; cooler smoke plumes may not rise as high, leading to ground-level visibility issues and possible ash deposition," according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Although authorities have lifted the shelter-in-place order, residents with respiratory conditions or other sensitive health concerns were advised to wear masks and keep doors and windows closed, limiting exposure to outdoor air whenever possible.
The blaze was initially reported to be primarily burning on the solar panels covering the roof of the 491,000-square-foot structure, and crews appeared to quickly get the upper hand on the flames. But crews on scene then reported an ammonia gas leak in the building's interior, and several small explosions were reported, re-invigorating the flames, which sent a thick plume of black smoke into the air visible for miles.
The intensity of the flames and heightened danger due to the ammonia leak forced LAFD crews to pull away from the structure and assume a defensive posture, pouring water on the structure from the exterior.
As the fire spread, LAFD hose lines were unable to reach parts of the fire, so three water-dropping helicopters were brought to the scene to help halt the flames, dumping thousands of gallons of water onto the building.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for a wide area near the warehouse as dark smoke blanketed the area. The order affected an area south of 101 Freeway to roughly Washington Boulevard, and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street on the west. Residents were advised to remain indoors, close all windows and doors and turn off air conditioning/heating units.
As the smoke continued spreading, shelter-in-place advisories were issued for residents across an even wider area stretching across East Los Angeles, Vernon and into Commerce. Residents with health issues were particularly advised to heed the recommendation to remain indoors.
LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said the leaking ammonia was not dangerous unless people have respiratory or other health conditions. He called it a "very unique" situation for crews to use water-dropping helicopters for a structure fire, but the size of the warehouse necessitated the aerial operation.
Moore said he has been with the LAFD for 31 years, and it was only the second time he can remember aerial water drops being used to douse a structure fire — the last time being about six years ago in Echo Park.
The Los Angeles Police Department went on citywide tactical alert in response to the fire, enabling the agency to keep officers on duty beyond their normal shifts to address public safety concerns.
At about 5:30 p.m., fire officials reported that the spread of the flames on the roof had been halted.
No injuries were immediately reported. It was unclear what sparked the blaze.
The solar panels on the same building also caught fire in August 2024, but LAFD crews were able to douse that blaze in less than an hour with no injuries.
According to the Lineage website, the facility offers cold storage, customs brokerage, drayage and blast freezing. The facility "is built to handle high-volume inventory and streamline ... global cold chain from production floor to international delivery."
