Massive Los Angeles warehouse fire triggers shelter-in-place order, hazmat response

A towering fire at a massive Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse sent black smoke over downtown Los Angeles and across the city, forcing nearby residents to shelter in place as firefighters confronted both a roof blaze and a hazardous ammonia release. The fire broke out at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lineage facility in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street, a building described as nearly 490,000 to 491,000 square feet.

Fire officials said the flames appeared to be concentrated on the roof and solar panel system, but the blaze reached an ammonia line inside the warehouse and caused off-gassing, turning the response into a hazardous materials operation. Three water-dropping helicopters joined Los Angeles Fire Department crews and hazmat teams at the scene, an unusual tactic for an urban warehouse fire but one officials described as highly effective.

The shelter-in-place order covered the area south of the 101 Freeway to Washington Boulevard and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street. Residents were told to stay indoors, close windows and doors, bring pets inside and shut off air conditioning while the smoke drifted east toward the San Gabriel Valley. About 70 people were evacuated from two streets, and the Los Angeles Police Department issued a citywide tactical alert as officers moved to support the emergency response. No injuries were reported.

By about 8:45 p.m., crews had gained the upper hand and the shelter-in-place order was lifted, but officials kept watching air quality and water runoff as the operation continued. The South Coast Air Quality Management District kept a smoke advisory in place for parts of East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley until 10 a.m. Thursday, warning that sensitive residents could still be affected by residual smoke.

The fire renewed concern over the Lineage site, which burned in August 2024 as well. Advocates said officials were underplaying the risk at a building that stores large amounts of ammonia, a compound the Environmental Protection Agency says can irritate or burn the mouth, lungs and eyes at high exposure levels. Los Angeles Fire Department officials said people with respiratory problems were the most likely to feel the effects, underscoring how quickly a warehouse fire can become a public health event when toxic materials are involved.