A fire at a Boyle Heights commercial building sent up a massive plume of black smoke on Wednesday and prompted a shelter-in-place order due to hazardous materials, including ammonia.
Fire broke out around 2:35 p.m. at a 1,000-foot by 500-foot cold storage facility at 1400 S. Los Palos St., reaching the solar panels on the roof, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire reached an ammonia line, officials said, prompting firefighters to pull back and order people nearby to shelter in place.
“Get inside IMMEDIATELY and close all windows and doors. Turn off air conditioning/heating. Bring all people and pets to an inside room until you receive more instructions,” an LAFD alert said.
The shelter-in-place order was in effect for the area south of Interstate 5, east of Soto Street, north of Washington Boulevard and west of Indiana Street.
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice urged people outside the shelter-in-place boundaries to also take precautions.
“The 5 freeway is not an air filter. The smoke is spreading and everyone in adjacent neighborhoods should reduce the risk of smoke exposure ASAP,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post.
As of 4 p.m., authorities added a smoke advisory covering East LA, Commerce and parts of downtown. Heavy, black smoke was visible across the region.
The business at 1400 Los Palos is called Lineage, a logistics company that offers cold storage services, according to the company’s website.
According to LAFD firefighter Jennifer Middleton, the fire was still active as of 4:21 p.m., and over 120 firefighters were on scene battling the blaze. Air quality is being monitored in the area, Middleton said.
“Any sort of structure fire with panels burning, there’s going to be some sort of hazardous materials in the air,” Middleton said.
No injuries have been reported, she added, but she also urged people to stay inside if smoke was reaching their area.
“Close your windows, stay indoors, turn off your air conditioning and just shelter in place. We don’t want anyone breathing that smoke. And don’t go outside to watch the fire,” Middleton said. “If need be, you can leave the area to more clear air.”
In a statement, District 14 Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said her office was monitoring the situation.
“Right now, the most important thing is to follow the shelter-in-place order that has been issued because of the smoke,” Jurado said. “Residents should stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed, avoid unnecessary travel in the area, and follow instructions from first responders.”
“LAFD and public safety personnel remain on scene, and this is still an active emergency response,” Jurado said.
Mayor Karen Bass also urged people to stay inside.
“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,” she said. “I want to thank the brave LAFD and public safety personnel who responded quickly and remain on scene.”
Officials in the neighboring city of Maywood also urged people to stay away from the area.
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