Fire continues to smolder
A massive fire at a cold-storage warehouse in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood entered its fifth day Monday, with thick noxious smoke continuing to blanket parts of the metro area. Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency for the city as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze at the 500,000-square-foot facility, which held 85 million pounds of frozen food products. The fire has become a fixture in the LA skyline since breaking out on the afternoon of June 17.
Air quality crisis
The Los Angeles Fire Department warned that smoke from the fire has reached most of the city, urging residents to limit exposure. The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued alerts for central Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, where particulates in the smoke pose health risks. The city and county have opened smoke relief centers for families seeking clean air. "The smell of smoke has reached most of the city, and we encourage everyone to limit exposure as much as possible," LAFD said over the weekend.
Challenging firefighting conditions
Lineage, the company that leases and operates the warehouse, said the fire likely originated on the roof while subcontractors were servicing the solar array. The blaze has been especially difficult to fight because the building's thick, insulated freezer walls trap heat and prevent water from reaching the core of the fire. Firefighters are making gradual progress but warn that flare-ups remain possible. The emergency declaration frees up state resources for food, shelter and assistance for displaced families.