A large fire has been burning for nearly a week at a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, challenging firefighters and impacting surrounding communities. The blaze began Wednesday at the nearly 500,000-square-foot facility operated by Lineage Logistics on South Los Palos Street.
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) officials reported significant progress in controlling the fire by Sunday, aided by coordinated suppression efforts and the use of heavy equipment. Crews have removed parts of the building’s exterior walls to better access interior fire zones, allowing firefighters to apply large volumes of water. Fire conditions along the building’s exterior have mostly been subdued, with smoke levels improving noticeably, though LAFD Chief Jaime Moore cautioned that smoke could persist for two to three more days.
The warehouse’s construction, including interior rack systems supporting a partially collapsed roof, has complicated firefighting efforts, creating unstable and hazardous conditions inside. Additionally, power to a solar panel array on the roof—leased to a third-party company—was not cut off until two days after the fire started, delaying suppression efforts. Lineage Logistics stated it is a tenant-operator of the building, which it does not own, and that the fire likely originated during maintenance work on the rooftop solar installation by subcontractors.
The incident has generated widespread airborne smoke, affecting neighborhoods across the Los Angeles area, including downtown and nearby recreational venues like Dodger Stadium. Authorities issued a particle pollution advisory, and local schools in the vicinity temporarily relocated due to poor air quality. Thousands of masks and air purifiers have been distributed to residents as part of public health measures to mitigate exposure.
The fire prompted Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency on Saturday, facilitating additional state resources to aid firefighting and recovery efforts. Community leaders and residents have expressed concerns about health risks and environmental equity, highlighting that Eastside neighborhoods are disproportionately affected.
Fire officials anticipate that containment could be achieved by midweek, with the facility potentially returned to operators by Friday. However, officials remain cautious given the complex nature of the fire; a similar warehouse blaze in Washington state took up to 60 days to fully extinguish. Meanwhile, Lineage Logistics has pledged $2 million toward community relief efforts in response to the incident.