Los Angeles declares emergency as Boyle Heights warehouse fire smolders

Los Angeles officials declared a local emergency on Saturday as firefighters worked to contain a persistent fire at a 500,000-square-foot cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights. The blaze, which began on Wednesday, has produced thick smoke that has drifted across the San Gabriel Valley, Northeast Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank and other nearby areas.

"While the Los Angeles Fire Department continues making progress, this is a major, multi-jurisdictional incident," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement, adding that the emergency declaration is intended to secure needed resources and protect the community.

Fire Department Chief Jamie Moore described the fire as “very unique” because the building stores about 85 million pounds of frozen food and is constructed with dense foam insulation that burns slowly, releasing gases despite water drops from helicopters. Solar panels on the roof have also ignited, and officials are monitoring possible biohazard risks from spoiled food.

The American Red Cross opened two smoke-relief shelters at City Terrace Park and Pecan Recreation Center, while the county health officer advised residents, especially those with respiratory or heart conditions, to limit outdoor activity and use N95 or P100 masks. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a special particle-pollution advisory that will remain in effect until Saturday afternoon.

Lineage Logistics, the tenant-operator of the facility, said the fire likely started while third-party contractors were testing the roof’s solar array. The company emphasized that no hazardous materials are stored on site and that ammonia from the refrigeration system has been pumped out and removed.

LAFD spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz noted low-level detections of hydrogen fluoride, a byproduct of burning lithium-ion batteries, and confirmed that about 60 forklift batteries are present in the building, though they have not been ignited. Fire crews have isolated 56 of the forklifts and continue to monitor for additional toxic emissions.

The incident has forced multiple shelter-in-place orders, which were lifted and reinstated as the fire shifted to different sections of the structure. Firefighters have employed water-dropping helicopters and heavy equipment to reach hard-to-access areas within the insulated freezer.

"Our city firefighting brothers and sisters are executing a meticulous, deeply challenging operation to bring the fire under control," said Chief Deputy Jon O’Brien of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Assemblymember Jessica Caloza highlighted the broader pattern of industrial hazards affecting East Los Angeles neighborhoods, noting recent oil-spill and chemical-tank incidents in the region.