Boyle Heights Warehouse Fire Rages On

A significant fire that began on Wednesday at a 500,000-square-foot food-product storage facility in Boyle Heights saw renewed activity on Friday. Thick smoke and flames returned as changing wind conditions caused expected flare-ups. The Los Angeles Fire Department anticipated this and maintained a strong presence with crews continuing to douse the building with water.

Firefighters believe a leak of ammonia, a substance used for refrigeration in the commercial facility, may have contributed to the fire's intensity. Initial efforts to fight the fire from the roof were quickly altered to a defensive strategy after flames spread to nearby solar panels. Hazardous material specialists have been on-site and have isolated ammonia and lithium-ion batteries, assuring the public there is no additional hazard beyond smoke in the area.

While forward progress of the fire was halted by Wednesday night with the aid of water-dropping helicopters, pockets of fire, including one in a freezer container, were discovered during mop-up operations. An air quality particle pollution advisory was issued for the area, remaining in effect until Saturday afternoon, as crews worked to ventilate hazardous smoke.