LA Warehouse Fire That Prompted Shelter-in-Place Orders Still Burning

Seven days into a fire at a large frozen-food storage facility near downtown Los Angeles, firefighters began moving parts of the exterior walls to try to gain access but they have yet to enter the building, officials said.

Firefighters continue making progress on a large blaze at a warehouse that blackened the skies around L.A. and prompted shelter-in-place orders in the area due to the risk of hazardous air.

Smoke continues to billow from the 491,000-square-foot warehouse located near homes in Boyle Heights.

Firefighters have been unable to enter the building due to the danger heavy-duty steel racks that stretch from the floor to the ceiling, and they have been unable to ventilate the roof due to insulation, which is what they typically do to release gas and smoke and gain visibility inside a warehouse, the Associated Press reported.

Firefighters responded around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday to the fire, which sent large plumes of dark smoke into the air in Boyle Heights and surrounding areas. As it continued to burn, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday for Los Angeles County in response to the fire, directing agencies to support local response efforts and help protect public health and safety.

The fire has blanketed southeast L.A. County and nearby San Gabriel Valley in toxic smoke, raising questions about public health due to exposure from small particles that the billowing smoke can move through the air. Some community advocates accuse city officials of downplaying the risks, the L.A. Times is reporting.

“There’s no safe level of exposure to particle pollution,” Will Barrett, assistant vice president for nationwide clean air policy at the American Lung Association, told the L.A. Times.