Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Update

The Los Angeles Fire Department has been contending with a fire at a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights for nearly a week. This incident began when a solar panel on the roof ignited.

Former mayoral contender Spencer Pratt has been vocal, criticizing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for reducing the LAFD budget. He noted that this warehouse had experienced a similar solar panel fire in 2024.

Pratt stated on social media, “Two years ago, there was a solar panel fire in this warehouse.” He further expressed concerns that Bass’s budget cuts have left firefighters unable to manage the situation effectively, leading to the emission of harmful metals into the air over the past week. He concluded with a sarcastic, “Good job, Karen!”

Currently, officials report that air quality monitoring has not revealed toxic substances beyond what is typically produced by fire smoke.

Additionally, city leaders have called out LAFD Chief Jamie Moore for needing to “bring in resources from Texas to manage a single structure fire,” with reports indicating that water cannons were sent from Texas to assist

In light of the ongoing situation, California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to declare a state of emergency on Saturday in managing the fire. Newsom’s office indicated that the blaze has generated significant smoke and particulate matter, potentially posing air quality risks to nearby areas.

Bass remarked, “The city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue to work tirelessly to put this fire out completely.”

Due to ongoing concerns regarding air quality, some local schools have temporarily adjusted their operations, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

As the LAFD continues its efforts, they reported on Sunday that significant progress has been made, despite ongoing operational difficulties stemming from the warehouse’s construction. They warned the presence of indoor storage rack systems complicates the situation as they still support parts of the partially collapsed roof.

Moving forward, LAFD indicated that while smoke conditions have notably improved, there may be intermittent increases in smoke as crews access hidden areas of the building to extinguish remaining fires.