A stay-at-home order was issued in Boyle Heights Wednesday afternoon as firefighters battled a large fire involving an ammonia gas leak inside a cold storage facility.
Crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department, hazardous materials teams and three water-dropping helicopters were dispatched to the fire at 1400 S. Los Palos St. The fire burned through solar panels on the facility’s roof and sent thick black smoke into the air that could be seen for miles.
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A shelter-in-place order has been issued for areas east of the fire due to smoke, according to the LAFD. Residents in the affected area — which stretches from roughly south of the 101 Freeway to Washington Boulevard, and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street — have been warned of “dangerous things nearby.”
“Go inside IMMEDIATELY and close all windows and doors,” fire officials said in the warning. “Turn off air conditioning/heating. Bring all people and pets indoors and close all vents until further instructions.”
A smoke advisory has been issued across East Los Angeles, with members of the public urged to limit outdoor exercise and those with health issues to stay indoors.
Crews responded to the incident at 2:35 p.m. as they battled a fire that was burning 1,000 to 500 feet above the building, according to the LAFD. Although crews initially made progress by dousing the roof with water, an ammonia gas leak was discovered inside the building, and several small explosions fueled the flames and smoke.
Within an hour, all firefighters were called to the roof and evacuated the building due to the danger caused by the strong flames and ammonia leak.
The building is owned by Lineage Logistics and offers cold storage and hot ice within 491,000 square feet of warehouse space, according to its website. Ammonia is often used as a refrigerant in large commercial and industrial facilities.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As the fire burned through the roof, LAFD hose lines could not reach all areas of the fire, three firefighting helicopters were called in and used to dump thousands of gallons on top. These drops helped reduce the smoke caused by the fire.
Although helicopters and other firefighting aircraft are a common strategy used to fight wildfires, they are rarely used to control fires. LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said, in his 31 years with the department, this is only the second incident he can recall where aerial water drops have been used to fight a structure fire.
A warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St also caught fire in August 2024, although that incident was less severe. Crews quickly installed hoses on the roof and extinguished the fire in part of the solar panels on top of the building, which was brought down in 48 minutes with no reported injuries, according to the LAFD at the time.
LA City Council member Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said her office is closely monitoring the fire and is grateful to emergency responders who are working to control the fire.
“We know how scary it is to see a lot of smoke in your area, especially families, workers, small businesses and passengers who are trying to understand what is happening and how to stay safe,” he said in a statement.
“Right now, the most important thing is to follow the shelter-in-place order that has been issued because of the smoke.”
Times staff writer Andrew Campa and City News Service contributed to this report.
