Hazardous Air Alert
Los Angeles Warehouse Fire Causes Hazardous Air, Prompts Shelter-in-Place
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A massive warehouse fire broke out near downtown Los Angeles on June 17, sending towering black smoke over the Boyle Heights neighborhood and forcing hundreds of residents to shelter in place due to toxic air. LAFD firefighters — eventually more than 100 strong — responded around 2:35 p.m. to the 491,000-square-foot cold storage facility on the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street.
The blaze quickly became a "Major Emergency." An ammonia leak and multiple small explosions inside the building forced crews off the roof and out of the interior by 3:30 p.m., according to LA Times. Three water-dropping helicopters were called in — an unusual move for an urban structural fire — to reach areas ground hoses could not.
Ammonia Leak and Solar Panels Force Tactical Retreat
For the first 45 minutes, firefighters took an offensive approach — climbing onto the roof to fight flames spreading across a large solar panel array. That changed fast. At 3:25 p.m., LAFD reported an ammonia leak and small explosions inside, according to Los Angeles Patch. Five minutes later, all crews pulled back to fight the fire from outside only.
Cold storage warehouses this size routinely use anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant. It is efficient but dangerous. In high concentrations, ammonia can cause severe burns to the eyes and throat, or fatal lung damage. The solar panels added a second hazard: live electricity that cannot easily be shut off during a fire, trapping crews between two threats at once.
Shelter-in-Place Covers Three Square Miles of East LA
At 3:45 p.m., LAFD Captain Erik Scott sent an emergency alert to a wide swath of Boyle Heights. Residents were told to "get inside IMMEDIATELY and close all windows and doors. Turn off air conditioning/heating... and close all vents until you receive more instructions," according to MyNewsLA.com. The zone stretched from the 101 Freeway south to Washington Blvd, and from Soto Street east to Indiana Street — roughly three square miles.
Thick black smoke reached as far north as Highland Park. BNO News reported that residents across East LA flooded social media with videos of the dark plume. Some expressed confusion about the Genasys emergency alert system, which many found hard to navigate during the initial chaos. Air quality monitors tracked toxic ammonia levels and fine particles from the burning solar panels.
This Is the Second Major Fire at the Same Facility in Two Years
This was not the first alarm at this address. In August 2024 — just 22 months earlier — about 70 LAFD firefighters battled a similar blaze on the same roof, also involving the solar panel array. That fire was contained within an hour and produced no reported chemical leak, according to CBS LA. This time, the scale and complexity were far greater.
The building is operated by Lineage, a global cold storage and logistics company. The company said in a statement: "Lineage's top priority is the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We are aware of the incident and are working closely with local officials and first responder teams to assess the situation," according to CBS LA. Investigators are expected to examine whether the fire suppression and solar shut-off systems met code.
Fire Suppressed by Evening, but Broader Fallout Begins
By 4:52 p.m., LAFD said the bulk of the fire was out, though the Major Emergency status held. HazMat crews and arson investigators began entering the building the morning of June 18 as air quality monitors showed stabilizing levels, according to LA Times. Shelter-in-place orders were under review for lifting.
The longer-term consequences could be significant. The Boyle Heights facility is a key hub for blast-freezing and temperature-controlled food logistics across Southern California. A potential total loss of the nearly half-million-square-foot building could disrupt regional food supply chains, per Readers.id. Community groups in East LA also renewed calls for stricter rules on industrial warehouses built close to homes and schools.
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