BOYLE HEIGHTS (CNS) – Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said he is hoping to have the fire extinguished and to be able to turn control of the smoldering cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Height back to its operator by Friday.
“I know it’s very ambitious, considering what’s happened in the past, but that’s what my goal is and that’s what we’re working towards,” Moore said in a Monday news conference.
“We are grateful and encouraged by the news from the Los Angeles Fire Department that, while things can always change, they are looking to extinguish the fire in days and turn over the building to the owner and our company for clean up as early as Friday,” Lineage Logistics said in a statement Monday.
“The bravery and expertise we have seen from the firefighters of the LAFD is nothing less than extraordinary.
“As we remain committed to doing everything we can to help firefighters and the community, we want to be clear that this fire was not caused by our operations or our team. Lineage is the tenant-operator of the building, not the owner.
“We believe the fire started on the roof when the owner of the solar array, Altus Power, was doing tests. The solar array does not power the building directly but provides power into the city power grid. As we step up for the community, we are also urging Altus to join us getting the Boyle Heights community the support they desperately need.”
Firefighters continued to make progress Monday on the Palos Fire at the Lineage Logistics warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St., near the Indiana Street off-ramp of the Santa Ana (5) Freeway. Smoke conditions improved since Sunday and were expected to continue improving as operations move forward, according to the statement from the department issued at 8 p.m. Monday.
“LAFD is working with allied agencies, contractors, and industry experts while utilizing specialized tools and tactics used at large industrial and oil rig fires,” the statement said. “Heavy equipment operators are using long-reach excavators and dozers to safely remove debris, expose hidden hot spots, and improve access for suppression efforts.”
For firefighter safety, crews remain out of the cold storage areas due to unstable storage racks, a compromised roof, and products that could shift or fall, officials said. Heavy equipment is being used whenever possible to reduce risk while continuing extinguishment operations.
The warehouse erupted in 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.
Moore said fire activity in the structure decreased throughout the day on Monday, as firefighters poured roughly 12,000 gallons of water per minute into the structure.
Crews were also tearing down exterior walls of the structure to give firefighters better access to more areas of the building, which was storing millions of pounds of food.
The fire initially spread rapidly Wednesday across the solar panels that cover of roof of the warehouse, 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 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.”
Los Angeles Fire Department public information officer Capt. Jacob Raabe told KTLA5 at the scene Monday morning that crews were working to get “a significant amount of water to the center of the building and get this fire out as quickly as possible.”
He said the work was arduous, but exposing the interior of the warehouse will allow firefighters to use water cannons to reach deep into the building. Some areas have been inaccessible to hand lines and aerial apparatus, Raabe said, adding that drones were being used for situational awareness and heat mapping and a firefighting robot capable of spraying large quantities of water was also deployed.
“This type of building is very dangerous for firefighters,” he said, adding that firefighters have been killed in previous incidents in such warehouses, prompting the incident commander in this case to be extra careful about allowing anyone to enter the premises.
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 Recreation Center and a county location at City Terrace Park. The Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA also opened an emergency shelter at its facility 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.
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 Gov. Gavin Newsom 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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