What to know about a cold storage warehouse fire in Los Angeles

Firefighters have been stripping away exterior walls on certain sides of the building and dousing it with heavy streams of water.

What caused the fire?

Michigan-based company Lineage Logistics, which operates the facility, said in a statement it believes the fire began when subcontractors were working on solar panels on the roof. But the official cause of the fire hasn't been determined, the company said.

Lineage is working with fire officials investigating the blaze, the statement said.

Moore said the fire department continues to investigate but that preliminary information shows Lineage, which rents the warehouse, was leasing the roof to a solar company that what was working on the panels when the fired started.

"They attempted to try to extinguish it. They dialed 911, and it was off to the races," he said.

What is stored at the facility?

The facility, called Big Bear, stores products such as seafood, pork, beef and poultry before they're shipped to grocery stores and restaurants on the U.S. West Coast, Lineage said on its website.

A message sent to Lineage seeking details about the food and the companies affected by it was not immediately returned.

What are the air quality concerns?

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a warning about poor air quality in the area until Tuesday afternoon, saying the blaze continues to produce smoke impacting the neighborhood and areas north and east of the fire. The smoke is carrying microscopic particles known as PM2.5 that can penetrate deep into the lungs.

Light winds will also push the smoke in all directions, potentially impacting other parts of metropolitan LA, the district said.

Residents in the most impacted area were told to avoid vigorous physical activity and close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets to an inside room because of the risk of hazardous air. Those who need to go outside in the smoky conditions should wear an N95 or P100 mask, health officials said.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said residents want to know what materials and chemicals were in the warehouse, what burned and what is still burning. She said air quality results should include that information and be released in English and Spanish in terms that regular people can understand.

Jurado said families, workers and other residents are "seeing the smoke and smelling the odors and finding ash and debris near their homes and businesses."

"We still do not have enough clear information about what burned and what may still be burning," she said.