Warehouse Company Reveals Likely Origin Of Boyle Heights Fire

LOS ANGELES, CA — The operator of the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that has burned for nearly a week said Monday that it believes the fire began on the building’s roof while crews were servicing the rooftop solar array.

"We want our neighbors to know that Lineage does not own the building or its rooftop solar array. 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," Lineage said in a statement.

However, the company pointed out that "the cause of the fire has not been determined" by officials.

Lineage did not identify the solar company in its statement.

'Very Unhealthy' Air

The fire began June 17 at the cold-storage warehouse and continued producing smoke into Monday, prompting air regulators to extend a particle pollution advisory through Tuesday afternoon.

• Read more: What To Know About Boyle Heights Fire Pollution, How To Track Air Quality In Your Neighborhood

Air quality in Boyle Heights reached the “Very Unhealthy” category Sunday, while smoke impacts were expected to shift by neighborhood depending on fire activity and wind conditions, regulators said.

An ammonia leak developed inside the building after the fire broke out, prompting concern in the surrounding community. Lineage said that it proactively pumped out the ammonia and transported it offsite.

“We can confirm that no measurable ammonia concentrations have been recorded in the community since the fire began,” the company said.

The mayor’s office said Monday morning testing had not shown abnormal levels of heavy metals, but particulate matter remained unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with asthma or other heart or lung conditions, children, older adults, pregnant people and those doing strenuous outdoor activity.

No shelter-in-place or evacuation orders were in effect Monday.

Firefight Continues

Fire officials said the blaze spread rapidly across solar panels on the roof before becoming difficult for firefighters to fully extinguish.

Firefighters have worked for days to reach deep-seated fire inside the warehouse, at times tearing down walls to access areas within the building. Drones and a firefighting robot have also been used to map heat and reach areas firefighters could not safely access, officials said.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said fire activity decreased throughout the day Monday as firefighters poured roughly 12,000 gallons of water per minute into the structure. Moore said he hoped crews would be able to turn control of the building back to Lineage by Friday.

Lineage also said it has helped support firefighting efforts by sourcing high-powered water cannons from Texas, funding helicopters for continued water drops and working with other industrial companies to secure additional equipment intended to speed up fire suppression.

23,000 Masks

Los Angeles Unified relocated several Region East schools Monday out of an abundance of caution because of changing air quality conditions near the fire. Christopher Dena Elementary School and Dacotah Early Education Center were relocated to Sunrise Elementary, Eastman Avenue Early Education Center was relocated to Humphreys Avenue Elementary School, and Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School was relocated to Belvedere Middle School.

The response has also prompted emergency declarations from the city and state. Mayor Karen Bass issued a local emergency declaration Saturday to help mobilize resources for the firefight and recovery, and Gov. Gavin Newsom followed with a state emergency declaration. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was expected Tuesday to formally ratify a county emergency declaration.

Residents in affected areas were advised to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and use air conditioning or air purifiers if available.

Bass said more than 500 air purifiers and more than 23,000 masks have been distributed to residents affected by the fire. Residents can call 311 for help accessing available resources, including masks and air purifiers.

Lineage also announced a $2 million contribution to the California Community Foundation, which on Monday announced it has activated its CCF Impact Fund to provide relief for East Los Angeles residents affected by the fire, including direct-cash aid, food distribution, air purifiers and other emergency essentials.

Residents in need of masks, air purifiers or information about shelter and smoke relief locations can find more info here.