Fire officials declare ‘knockdown’ of Boyle Heights warehouse blaze

A fire at a cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights has been knocked down after eight days, fire officials said Wednesday, June 24.

Just before 6 p.m., fire officials declared a “knockdown of the Palos fire,” a term meaning there are no longer active flames or a threat of the fire spreading, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

However, debris inside the approximately 500,000 square-foot Lineage Logistics facility will continue to smolder as firefighters transition to an overhaul phase. Firefighters will continue watering the structure to extinguish any remaining flames, fire officials said.

Crews initially thought the fire was quickly contained after it broke out last Wednesday, June 17, in part because of the rare use of fire-dropping helicopters to extinguish a structure fire. However, pockets of the fire continued to burn inside the facility. The building’s size and the partial collapse of the roof were among some of the issues dealt with by firefighters, who had to fight the blaze from outside using water cannons from Texas.

Earlier this week, Lineage Logistics, the tenant-operator of the building, said in a statement that it believes the fire began on the roof when Altus Power was conducting tests on solar panels. Altus Power issued its own statement, emphasizing that the fire’s cause remains under investigation.

Drones with infrared cameras continue to search for heat sources so crews know where to use high-volume water streams.

Fire officials said smoke conditions have improved significantly but warned some smoke may be visible as crews work to put out the remaining flames. An ongoing Particle Pollution Advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District was not extended beyond Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.

As of Tuesday, fire officials said testing near the fire and in nearby neighborhoods showed no significant levels of pollutants including ammonia, hydrogen fluoride and toxic metals.