A fire at a cold-storage warehouse in Los Angeles has been burning for days. Here’s what we know

By Holly Yan, CNN

(CNN) — The thick, noxious smoke billowing out of a warehouse in Los Angeles has turned into a fixture in the city’s skyline for almost a week – with no end in sight.

A blazing-hot fire began at a cold-storage facility with 85 million pounds of frozen food inside. The inferno prompted shelter-in-place orders and forced neighbors to turn off their air conditioning as plumes of gray smoke wafted by.

“The smell of smoke has reached most of the city, and we encourage everyone to limit exposure as much as possible,” the Los Angeles Fire Department said over the weekend.

Here’s what we know:

What caused this disaster, and when did it start?

“We believe the fire originated on the roof on Wednesday while the company’s subcontractors were servicing the solar array,” said Lineage, the company that leases and operates the warehouse. According to its website, Lineage is a “worldwide leader in cold storage and logistics.”

“Lineage does not own the building or its rooftop solar array,” the company said. “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.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department has not released an official cause for the blaze, which started around 2:35 p.m. Wednesday at 1400 S. Los Palos St. There, crews discovered flames shooting out from the roof and quickly “engaged in offensive suppression,” LAFD said.

But 15 minutes into their efforts, a suspected ammonia leak forced firefighters to act defensively.

Ammonia is used in some refrigeration systems to keep buildings cold, Lineage said.

“We can confirm that no measurable ammonia concentrations have been recorded in the community since the fire began,” the company said. “We also proactively took steps to pump out the ammonia and transport it offsite, removing the possibility of ammonia posing a risk to the community.”

What makes this fire so hard to fight?

“The sheer size of this structure … largely prevented effective ground access,” the fire department said. “Though not typically deployed in structure fires due to safety concerns, LAFD helicopters performed water drops to knock down the bulk of the flames.”

The blaze was largely under control within six hours, but wind conditions Friday caused “a flare-up inside the structure,” LAFD said.

Firefighters are also grappling with dangerous structural conditions. Parts of the collapsed roof are sitting on interior storage racks, “creating complex and unstable conditions that require a cautious and methodical approach,” LAFD said over the weekend.

“We have 85 million pounds of frozen food inside of this facility, and the way the building has been laid out, it’s very difficult for us to get in there because there’s zero visibility inside,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore said at a news conference.

On top of that, crews discovered “areas of wall instability due to the significant volume of water being applied to the structure,” the fire department said.

“This remains a complex, long-duration incident that will require sustained operations.”

When will the smoke stop?

Nobody knows. But smoke conditions “have improved significantly and are expected to continue improving as firefighters make progress,” the LAFD said Sunday.

Crews successfully removed parts of the exterior wall, improving their ability to access interior fire areas and blast large volumes of water, the fire department said.

“Although smoke conditions are trending in a positive direction, intermittent increases in smoke may occur as crews open walls and other concealed spaces to locate and extinguish hidden fire,” LAFD said.

How is the company responding?

Lineage has a massive presence in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood, with 491,000 square feet of warehouse space.

“We know many people living near our facility in Boyle Heights are deeply distraught about the fire that began on June 17, and rightfully so,” Lineage said.

“Lineage has contributed $2 million to the California Community Foundation (CCF) that will be distributed to support community members who have been impacted by the fire,” the company added. “We are also continuing to work with local officials on providing air purifiers, food and other resources to the community.”

As for the building’s employees, all were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported, Lineage said. The company has been trying to place them at other facilities.

In 2024, a Lineage facility in Washington state caught fire and smoldered for two months, Northwest Public Broadcasting reported. Nearby residents in Finley have reported an array of health problems.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared an emergency Saturday, asking for resources under the California Assistance Act to help fight the fire and help families seeking relief from the smoke.

Could this fire harm residents’ health?

Since Saturday night, air quality sensors have detected PM2.5 levels that are “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “very unhealthy” in central Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Valley, East San Fernando Valley and Northwest San Bernardino Valley, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said.

PM2.5 is tiny particulate matter that can move deep inside the lungs when inhaled and can then enter the bloodstream.

“Smoke exposure may cause temporary irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs,” the Los Angeles County health department said.

It said anyone suffering severe or worsening symptoms such as difficulty breathing or chest pain “should seek medical attention immediately.”

CNN’s Celina Tebor contributed to this report.

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