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Shelter-in-place ordered in LA as blaze engulfs roof of 500,000 sq-ft warehouse
TL;DR
A fire engulfed the roof of a 500,000 sq-ft cold storage facility in Los Angeles, prompting officials to order nearby residents to shelter in place due to thick smoke and ammonia. Approximately 110 firefighters are on the scene, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Key points
- Fire engulfed a cold storage facility in Los Angeles
- Residents ordered to shelter in place due to smoke and ammonia
- 110 firefighters responded to the incident
- Fire cause is under investigation
- Facility is located in Boyle Heights near downtown
Mentioned in this story
Los AngelesLineageKaren Bass
The solar panel-covered roof of a 500,000 sq-ft cold storage facility in Los Angeles caught fire Wednesday, sending up thick clouds of dark smoke and ammonia, leading city officials to order nearby residents to shelter in place.
About 110 firefighters responded in the afternoon to a blaze at the cold storage and freezing warehouse owned by Lineage in the Boyle Heights neighborhood near downtown, according to spokesperson Jennifer Middleton of the Los Angeles fire department. Both the city and Los Angeles county deployed firefighters and hazmat teams to contain the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Middleton said. By the time firefighters arrived, the solar panels covering the roof had caught fire.
“I urge everyone in the impacted area to get indoors immediately, close windows and doors, turn off air conditioning, and avoid unnecessary travel to the area,” Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass wrote in a tweet.
Black smoke rises from a warehouse fire in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, as seen from downtown Los Angeles on 17 June. Photograph: Étienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters first tried to stop the fire by spraying it with hand lines on the roof, but were forced to retreat after an ammonia line burst, according to LAFD chief Jaime Moore.
“At some point, an ammonia line was compromised and we had a large, pressurized off-gassing of ammonia,” Moore told NBC News 4.
Cold storage facilities rely on ammonia as a cost-effective refrigerant, but it is both toxic and flammable. Moore warned residents with health conditions to avoid breathing the contaminated air by staying indoors with windows closed and air conditioning off while the city monitored the air for evidence of ammonia off-gassing.
The fire grew so large and hazardous to approach that responders took the unusual step of dousing it from above with helicopters, while firefighters retreated from the roof. At least three helicopters delivered more than half a dozen air drops of water, according to Middleton.
Q&A
What caused the fire at the cold storage facility in Los Angeles?
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by authorities.
What safety measures were taken for residents near the fire in Boyle Heights?
City officials ordered nearby residents to shelter in place, close windows and doors, and turn off air conditioning.
How many firefighters responded to the blaze in Los Angeles?
Approximately 110 firefighters responded to the fire at the cold storage facility.
