The firefight continued Sunday at a cold storage facility in Boyle Heights, with nearby residents urged to limit their exposure to the smoke that’s been bellowing from the facility since Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Fire Department made progress overnight, confining the fire to one side of the large Lineage Logistics warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St., and removing portions of the exterior wall to improve access.
No shelter-in-place or evacuation orders were issued as of Sunday afternoon, but officials were urging the public to stay inside if possible, to keep pets inside and keep doors and windows closed.
Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents the 14th Council District, which includes Boyle Heights, said Sunday that officials were handing out hundreds of air purifiers and masks, a number that was expected to increase to the thousands by Monday.
The fire initially began shortly after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and rapidly spread across the solar panels that cover of roof of the warehouse, which stores food, while an ammonia leak developed inside the building and thick smoke billowed into the air, prompting shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and businesses.
At about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, fire officials reported the spread of the flames on the roof had been halted, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted. In a later update, however, they said changing winds re-ignited hot spots inside the building, and by Friday firefighters were again battling flames and conducting overhaul operations as smoke continued to rise from the damaged structure.
“The building presents significant safety and operational challenges, including large storage racks that limit firefighters’ ability to safely deploy handlines inside the structure,” the LAFD said in a Sunday afternoon update. “Many of the solar panels have been de-energized, and multiple lithium-ion batteries have been removed from the building, significantly reducing hazards to both firefighters and the surrounding community.
“LAFD personnel will continue firefighting operations throughout the day, applying large volumes of water to extinguish remaining fire. As a result, the volume and color of smoke visible to the community may fluctuate.”
Additional resources were being put in place at the warehouse after Gov. Gavin Newsom and Bass each issued a Declaration of Emergency to support the ongoing fire fight, which began Wednesday.
“California is deploying specialized resources, supporting local firefighters and pre-positioning critical supplies to protect communities and accelerate recovery,” Newsom said in issuing the declaration.
Two shelter locations were opened to support anyone affected by the fire: a city facility at the Pecan Rec Center, 145 S. Pecan St., and a county location at City Terrace Park, 1126 N. Hazard Ave. The Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA has also opened an emergency shelter at 2900 Whittier Blvd. where it is also distributing masks.
A special Particle Pollution Advisory issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District was extended until at least 12:30 p.m. Monday.
Firefighters were pouring tremendous amounts of water on the roof, and concerns were shifting to the building’s structural integrity and to the disposition of massive amounts of spoiled food.
“There will still be cleanup after this fire is out. That cleanup needs to happen safely, quickly, with full accountability,” Jurado said in a social media post Sunday. “The building owner is responsible for moving the remaining product and materials inside the facility, and I will continue to work to hold them accountable.”
Lineage released the following statement on Sunday afternoon:
“Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of our team members, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We know many people living near our facility in Boyle Heights are deeply distraught about the fire that began on June 17, and rightfully so.
“Working closely with local officials to identify the community’s most pressing needs, Lineage has contributed $2 million to the California Community Foundation that will be distributed to support community members who have been impacted by the fire. We are also continuing to work with local officials on providing air purifiers, food and other resources to the community. Our donation to CCF represents our desire to activate funding quickly and nimbly to the organizations making the greatest, most immediate impact on the ground.
” … We also continue to work closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department and other agencies to support their efforts to fight the fire and protect the community. To augment their brave and tireless efforts, we have leveraged our network to source high-powered water cannons from Texas, fund helicopters to continue water drops, and partnered with other industrial companies to secure additional equipment to speed up fire suppression efforts.
“We also proactively took steps to pump out the ammonia and transport it offsite, removing the possibility of ammonia posing a risk to the community. We can confirm that no measurable ammonia concentrations have been recorded in the community since the fire began, and we continue to be grateful to Los Angeles’ remarkable firefighters for their brave and tireless response.”
The city’s local emergency declaration does several things, including:
— Directs the city’s Emergency Operations Organization to be immediately activated and to take “such steps as may be necessary or appropriate for the protection of life, health or property.”
— Directs all city departments impacted by this event, and its ongoing effects, to conduct damage assessments and collect any relevant cost estimates.
— Requests that the governor waive regulations that may hinder response and recovery efforts; that recovery assistance be made available under the California Disaster Assistance Act; and that the state expedite access to state and federal resources and any other appropriate disaster relief programs.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis, who represents East L.A., said she will introduce a motion on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency at the county level as well.
Meanwhile, Solis said the City Terrace Park shelter was providing masks, bottled water, non-perishable food and information from public health and air quality officials. Transportation assistance, including coordinated rides, will also be made available to help residents safely access the site, she said.
Information about the shelter, available services or transportation assistance is available at AlertLA.org.