Updated: 4:37 p.m. Monday, June 22, 2026.
LA Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said Monday he anticipates that firefighters will have the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights fully extinguished by the middle of this week.
“The fire has improved significantly in the last two days,” Moore said during a press conference at Boyle Heights City Hall as the flames burned through a sixth day.
Moore said fire activity in the 500,000-square-foot cold storage building decreased throughout Monday after heavy equipment operators removed portions of an exterior wall to allow firefighters to blast the interior with water hoses.
LA Councilmember Ysabel Jurado called for an independent investigation into the cause of the warehouse fire.
“Boyle Heights deserves more than finger-pointing. They deserve answers,” Jurado said, hours after warehouse company Lineage said in a statement that the fire sparked while contractors were testing a rooftop solar array. “That may be their statement, but that cannot be the final word.”
Jurado, speaking during the press conference, also called for the release of more air quality and environmental testing data in both English and Spanish.
“We shouldn’t wait until after this disaster for Boyle Heights residents to know what was in the facility in their backyard,” Jurado said. “We still do not have enough clear information about what burned and what may still be burning, what is in the air and what is in the ash and what risks remain.”
As smoke from the fire continued to hit unhealthy levels in Boyle Heights, LA Mayor Karen Bass said officials have gathered thousands more masks and air purifiers to distribute. Some are being distributed door-to-door, but people who need masks or air purifiers can call 311 for more information.
Poor air quality on Sunday led several schools hosting summer programs to announce they would move classes elsewhere on Monday as a precaution.
Students from Dena Elementary and Dacotah Early Education Center were relocated to Sunrise Elementary, Eastman Early Education Center students moved to Humphreys Elementary, and Stevenson Middle School students were moved to Belvedere Middle School, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Schools across LAUSD’s Region East that were open for summer school said they would keep students inside.
“At all surrounding sites, all activities will take place indoors to support the health and safety of students and staff,” LAUSD said.
Air quality remains very unhealthy in Boyle Heights, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, even as it improves in other parts of the greater LA area. The agency extended its particle pollution advisory until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, saying smoke impacts are expected to continue in East LA and Boyle Heights as firefighting efforts continue.
“Ash may also deposit across the area,” the AQMD added. “Air quality monitors do not account for large ash particles and debris in the AQI readings. Take precautions to protect your health if you smell or see smoke or ash.”
Anyone in the impacted area — which extended from Boyle Heights east to Ontario — should take these steps, according to AQMD:
- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed or seek alternate shelter
- Avoid vigorous physical activity
- Run your air conditioning and/or an air purifier. If possible, do not use swamp coolers or whole
house fans that bring in outside air
Officials previously described the cold storage facility as a 500,000-square-foot refrigerator, with thick walls and interior racks that made extinguishing the blaze uniquely challenging.
“We have corrugated steel on the outside walls filled with very, very dense foam, and the interior walls are also protected by corrugated steel walls as well,” Moore said Sunday. “It’s very difficult for us to get in there because there’s zero visibility inside.”
Moore said 85 million pounds of frozen food, including meat that would soon spoil, are inside the facility.
“Our next objective is to try to figure out how we’re gonna get this product out of there and do it safely under the conditions we have,” Moore said.
Lineage said it is working closely with LAFD and the city to provide assistance.
“At this time, we believe the fire began while testing was being conducted by contractors of the third-party owner of the solar array located on the facility’s roof,” Melanie Mendoza, a company spokesperson, said in a statement.
Firefighters also announced street closures and traffic control points in the area of the fire that they said were necessary to allow emergency vehicles access.
Closures include: Union Pacific Street and Calzona Street, Union Pacific Street and Indiana Street, Noakes Street and Calzona Street, Noakes Street and Indiana Street. LAFD said commercial vehicle traffic will still be allowed east and west on Noakes Street.
Meanwhile, residents of neighboring homes were wearing masks as they tried to go about their daily life; smoke relief centers remained open at Pecan Recreation Center and City Terrace Park. Multiple people told Boyle Heights Beat they were concerned about the health impacts of multiple days of smoke.
Monitoring of the air is continuing, and so far, AQMD has said that no significant levels of air toxic metals have been detected. A reporter asked Bass on Sunday if the air was dangerous.
“No, the air is not dangerous,” she said.
LAist contributed to this story.
