Boyle Heights, Day 6: Smoke from warehouse fire continues to impact air quality

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Smoke emanating from a smoldering cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights continued to degrade air quality in the region Monday, and health officials urged residents to take precautions, particularly those with respiratory conditions.

Smoke was continuing to rise from the Lineage warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St., near the Indiana Street off-ramp of the 5 Freeway. The warehouse erupted into fire about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, and while crews initially believed they had contained the blaze — in part through the rare use of water-dropping helicopters on a structure fire – pockets of fire continued to burn deep inside the structure, some in difficult-to-access areas.

The fire initially spread rapidly 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.

Although no official cause of the fire has been determined, officials with Lineage — which operates the warehouse but does not own the building — said in a statement Sunday they believe the fire originated on the roof while subcontractors working for the solar company that leases the roof space were "servicing the solar array."

As the fire continued burning, air quality concerns have persisted for large swaths of Los Angeles, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and South Coast Air Quality Management District have not detected anything beyond normal combustible material typical after a fire, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said.

A special Particle Pollution Advisory issued by the AQMD was extended until at least 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

County health officials on Monday urged residents impacted by the smoke to take precautions, such as staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, limiting activities outdoors and wearing a high-quality face mask while outside.

County health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said anyone experiencing severe symptoms or worsening conditions should contact their doctor.

"This would include symptoms like difficulty breathing, chest pain, significant breathing distress," Davis said.

He said people should "really pay attention to where you are, what you're seeing and what you're feeling, and how you feel when you're outside."

No shelter-in-place or evacuation orders were in place as of Monday.

The fire department also issued new road closures and traffic restrictions near the fire late Sunday night to accommodate emergency vehicles.

Mayor Karen Bass and Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who represents the 14th Council District, which includes Boyle Heights, said Sunday officials were handing out hundreds of air purifiers and masks, a number that was expected to increase to the thousands by Monday.

Additional resources were being put in place at the warehouse after Gov. Gavin Newsom and Bass each issued a Declaration of Emergency over the weekend to support the ongoing fire fight.

"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, at 1126 N. Hazard Ave. The Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA also opened an emergency shelter at 2900 Whittier Blvd., where it is also distributing masks.

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.

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 Los Angeles, 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.

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