LA faces state of emergency as Boyle Heights fire continues spewing caustic smoke across region

Laurence Darmiento and Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times on Jun 20, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — L.A. city officials said Saturday they expected to declare a state of emergency as firefighters continue to battle a stubborn warehouse fire in Boyle Heights that has sent plumes of irritating smoke across the region.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jamie Moore described the blaze that broke out Wednesday as a “very unique fire, a very unique challenge for the Los Angeles Fire Department, for the city of Los Angeles, but also for the County of Los Angeles.”

The 500,000-square-foot commercial building at 1400 S. Los Palos St. houses 85 million pounds of frozen food “like a giant cooler,” he said. The corrugated steel walls are filled with very dense foam that is burning slowly and off-gassing despite ongoing water drops from helicopters.

Moore cautioned people with lung issues or smoke sensitivity to avoid outdoor activities, but said crews have mitigated the hazardous-materials portion of the blaze and are now focused on the biohazard portion posed by spoiled food.

A shelter-in-place order for residents was lifted on Friday, but many across the region on social media reported thick smoke smells, haze and poor air quality in the San Gabriel Valley, Northeast Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, downtown Los Angeles and many other areas.

Some said the smoke was as bad, if not worse, than during the Eaton fire that burned in Altadena in January 2025.

The Red Cross has opened two smoke respite shelters at City Terrace Park at 1126 N. Hazard Ave. and Pecan Recreation Center at 145 S. Pecan St.

Mayor Karen Bass said a state of emergency declaration is pending, and that she has reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom for additional support.

“Our chief concern is for your safety and for your health,” Bass said. “No smoke is good, but especially the smoke that could be toxic because of the chemicals that were needed to keep the food frozen in the facility.”

L.A. County health officer Muntu Davis said the main public health concern was smoke and fine particles that can cause temporary irritation of the ear, nose, and throat and lungs, as well as exacerbate heart and lung conditions.

“People really just need to pay attention to how they feel, especially if they have underlying health conditions, and watching children as well,” she said.

The warehouse is owned by Lineage Logistics. The company could not be reached for comment on Saturday, but released a statement to CBS saying it believed the fire was started by contractors testing the solar array on the facility’s roof.

“Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of the community, and we are continuing to work closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department and other agencies to provide any assistance we can,” the statement said.

It noted the facility is not used for the storage of hazardous materials.

The multiday effort has been full of challenges for firefighters with fiery flare-ups shooting up from the building whose roof is covered with solar panels.

The fire initially grew into a huge inferno, creating a pillar of thick, black smoke that could be seen for miles. The fire reached an ammonia line, triggering several small explosions and a dramatic image of flames shooting through the building‘s roof as crews evacuated the area to avoid the fumes.

That prompted officials to order a shelter-in-place order that was lifted — only to be reinstated on Thursday after a different section of the building caught fire. That prompted a new shelter-in-place order that was lifted Friday just before 11:30 a.m.

The smoke from the fire also prompted a special particle pollution advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. It is currently set to remain in effect until 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The building is so big, and the flames are in such hard-to-reach areas, that firefighters have needed to get creative with their approach, using water-dropping helicopters and other heavy equipment.

LAFD Battalion Chief Nicholas Ferrari said the fire is complex because the building is a freezer constructed with insulated materials. Within the first hours, fire crews removed the ammonia found in the building’s refrigeration system.

“As we remove those hazards, we’re getting closer and closer to getting firefighters inside to get those hose lines where they need to be to completely extinguish the fire,” the official said.