A warehouse fire that’s been raging out of control for nearly a week might finally be slowing down thanks to the efforts of Los Angeles firefighters.
The blaze broke out Wednesday at Lineage Logistics’ 500,000 square-foot cold-storage facility on South Los Palos Street in Boyle Heights.
Image of the burning warehouse in Boyle Heights. Jon Putman for CA Post
Crews have removed sections of the exterior wall Jon Putman for CA Post“LAFD firefighters continue to make significant progress at the Palos Incident through coordinated suppression operations and heavy equipment support,” LAFD said in an announcement Sunday night.
“Crews have removed sections of the exterior wall allowing for more effective access to interior fire areas, giving them the ability to apply large volumes of water … Fire conditions along the exterior portions of the structure have been largely knocked down … Smoke conditions have improved significantly and are expected to continue improving as firefighters make progress extinguishing the fire,” the statement continued.
A Boyle Heights resident is covering her face from the smoke. Jon Putman for CA Post
Residents cover up with face masks as they observe the fire. Jon Putman for CA Post
A helicopter drops water over the burning building. Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe massive fire sent large plumes of black smoke into the sky, impacting communities throughout the LA area. As a result, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued a particle pollution advisory that lasted until Monday 12:30 p.m.
A shelter-in-place was also initially ordered last Wednesday but was lifted a few days later.
To combat the fires, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency Saturday, which allows the state to provide “additional assistance and resources as needed to support response and recovery efforts and mitigate impacts to surrounding communities.”
LAFD Chief Jaime Moore (center) alongside LA Mayor Karen Bass (left). Jon Putman for CA PostDespite the progress, the building’s construction is proving to be a nuisance. The interior rack systems support parts of the collapsed roof, which creates complex and unstable conditions according to the LAFD.
“I would anticipate this smoke for about two more days, possibly three,” LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said in a Sunday news conference.
Firefighters continue fire suppression operations. Jon Putman for CA PostLineage Logistics currently operates the warehouse but has claimed that it does not own the building.
“We are the tenant-operator of the warehouse building and lease the roof to a third-party solar company, which is responsible for operating and maintaining the array. We believe the fire originated on the roof on Wednesday while the company’s subcontractors were servicing the solar array,” the company said.
