Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Prompts Emergency Declarations

Firefighters are in their sixth day of battling a massive blaze at a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, east of downtown Los Angeles. The fire, which broke out last Wednesday, has produced significant smoke, leading to unhealthy air quality and prompting emergency declarations from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The roughly 500,000-square-foot facility, operated by Michigan-based Lineage, stores approximately 85 million pounds of frozen food. Firefighting efforts are complicated by the building's heavily insulated structure, designed like a freezer, which prevents firefighters from entering and makes extinguishing the blaze difficult. They are currently fighting the fire from the exterior.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, but Lineage stated that it believes the fire began when subcontractors were working on solar panels on the roof. The company is cooperating with investigators.

Air quality officials have extended warnings about poor air quality, noting the presence of microscopic particles known as PM2.5 in the smoke, which can affect respiratory health. Residents in the most affected areas have been advised to take precautions, such as closing windows and doors and avoiding strenuous activity outdoors.