Key facts
- A fire at a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, has been burning for six days.
- The blaze is challenging firefighters due to the facility's insulated nature and the 85 million lbs of frozen food stored inside.
- Emergency declarations were issued by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom due to unhealthy air quality.
- Firefighters are battling the fire from the exterior and have not been able to enter the building.
- The cause of the fire is under investigation, with Lineage suggesting it may have started during solar panel work.
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.