Large Warehouse Fire in Los Angeles Prompts Air Quality Alerts
Residents near downtown Los Angeles are being advised to keep an eye on air quality following a significant warehouse fire and an ammonia leak tied to solar panels on the roof. A shelter-in-place order was issued for thousands of people in response to the incident.
The fire erupted Wednesday afternoon at a large cold storage facility run by Lineage Logistics in Boyle Heights. It produced thick plumes of black smoke that blanketed a wide area of East Los Angeles, as reported by the local fire department.
This blaze extended to the extensive solar panel array on the roof, and the situation was exacerbated by ammonia leaking from the facility.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Jamie Moore explained how firefighters initially tried to tackle the flames from the rooftop. However, the release of potentially toxic ammonia from pressurized gas lines forced them to retreat, which led to the implementation of the shelter-in-place order while air quality was assessed.
After almost three hours, firefighting crews began utilizing helicopters to drop water on the flames, a tactic usually reserved for wildfires, since the fire spread across the flat rooftop much like a wildfire would.
Though the shelter-in-place order was lifted Thursday morning, officials are still cautioning residents to minimize outdoor activities as air quality monitoring continues.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has recommended residents in parts of eastern downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley stay indoors, close windows, and use air purifiers due to ongoing smoke from the fire.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Lineage Logistics has been scrutinized before for its handling of ammonia safety protocols and previously settled with the Environmental Protection Agency over related issues at a different facility.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Boyle Heights facility has faced such incidents. A fire connected to the solar panels occurred back in August 2024, but that situation was contained relatively quickly without any injuries.
