By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- A 500,000-square-foot commercial warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, entered its sixth day of burning Sunday, June 22, with firefighters continuing methodical suppression efforts amid complex structural hazards from a collapsed roof.
- The Los Angeles Unified School District relocated four schools’ activities to nearby facilities due to heavy smoke affecting the region since the fire began Wednesday.
- Air quality throughout Los Angeles County, the San Gabriel Valley, and northwest San Bernardino Valley reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “very unhealthy” levels; Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom jointly declared a state of emergency Saturday.
- Lineage Logistics, the building’s operator, stated the fire likely began when third-party contractors were testing a solar array on the roof.
- LAFD Chief Jaime Moore predicted containment by week’s end if suppression progress continues at the current rate.
BOYLE HEIGHTS, CALIF. — A massive commercial warehouse fire that ignited Wednesday continued to burn Sunday as firefighters opened walls and concealed spaces to locate hidden flames, with school officials responding by temporarily relocating academic activities to escape persistent smoke conditions.
The fire at the building located in the 1400 block of Los Palos Street began Wednesday while contractors were conducting solar array testing on the roof, according to Lineage Logistics, the facility’s tenant-operator. The 500,000-square-foot structure presented complex suppression challenges, forcing firefighters to employ water-dropping helicopters and specialized heavy equipment.
Los Angeles Unified School District announced Sunday evening that Dena Elementary and Dacotah Early Education Center activities would relocate to Sunrise Elementary School on East 7th Street. Eastman Early Education Center operations moved to Humphreys Elementary, while Stevenson Middle School classes transferred to Belvedere Middle School. The relocations address smoke and air quality concerns affecting student populations in proximity to the fire.
An LAFD spokesperson said collapsed roof supports and other structural elements created unstable conditions requiring a cautious, methodical approach. Firefighters have removed sections of exterior walls to increase access while continuing to open additional concealed spaces to extinguish hidden fire. The agency cautioned that while smoke conditions had improved significantly and were expected to continue improving, intermittent smoke increases may occur as suppression operations proceeded.
Air quality monitors showed pollutant levels ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to very unhealthy across a wide region Sunday evening. East Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, and the San Gabriel Valley experienced the most severe air quality degradation, with the affected area extending across much of Los Angeles County and into the San Gabriel Valley and northwest San Bernardino Valley.
Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom jointly declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to the unhealthful air quality conditions. LAFD Chief Jaime Moore stated that if suppression progress continued at the current rate, the fire should be extinguished by the end of the week.