A massive fire at a Boyle Heights warehouse was extinguished Wednesday evening, but residents in several Eastside neighborhoods are still trying to assess air quality as well as possible health risks from ammonia that leaked during the blaze.
The fire originated on the solar-panel-covered roof of a cold storage facility at 1400 S. Los Palos St. The flames reached an ammonia line, which started off-gassing and led to several small explosions, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
LAFD Fire Chief Jaime Moore said that the ammonia leak was not toxic to individuals unless they had respiratory issues or came into direct contact with the ammonia.
Anhydrous ammonia is widely used as a refrigerant in industrial settings. The regulated toxic substance is corrosive to the skin, eyes and lungs, and high levels of exposure can lead to choking, burns and death, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
There were no reports of injuries.
The fire sparked a shelter-in-place order that covered an area extending roughly from south of the 101 Freeway to Washington Boulevard, and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street. Residents in those areas were told to stay indoors, close vents and shut off air conditioning. The order was lifted Wednesday night.
A smoke advisory was also issued for a broad swath of East Los Angeles, with members of the public urged to limit outdoor exercise and those with health issues to remain indoors.
An air quality advisory is in place east of downtown Los Angeles and in portions of the San Gabriel Valley until 10 a.m. Thursday, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
The AQMD deployed a mobile air monitor to take measurements of metals following the path of the plume. There were elevated levels of particulate matter recorded in the vicinity of the fire Wednesday afternoon that decreased downwind of the facility as the smoke thinned. The AQMD did not report elevated levels of ammonia in the air Wednesday.
The fire ignited shortly after 2:30 p.m. at a nearly 500,000-square-foot warehouse that is owned by Lineage Logistics.
Lineage Logistics provides cold storage and blast freezing inside the massive structure. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lineage Logistics has previously been accused of failing to comply with safety regulations to prevent the accidental release of anhydrous ammonia. In 2023, the company agreed to pay a fine to the EPA over how its facility in Altoona, Iowa, managed chemical risk posed by the more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia stored on site.
Its Boyle Heights warehouse also caught fire in August 2024, although that incident was significantly less dramatic. Crews quickly established hose lines on the roof and contained the blaze to a portion of the solar panels atop the structure, achieving knockdown in 48 minutes with no injuries reported, according to the LAFD at the time.