A shelter-in-place order was re-issued Thursday, June 18 in Boyle Heights as firefighters vented smoke from a fire-damaged warehouse that burned a day earlier.
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued the order around 2:30 p.m., instructing residents in an area from the 5 Freeway to Washington Boulevard, and from Indiana Street to Lorena Street to shelter in place. Residents in nearby zones were advised they may see smoke in the area.
The renewed order comes a day after a fire broke out at the nearly 500,000-square-foot warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics, provides cold-storage warehousing and logistics services for imported and exported goods moving through Southern California’s supply chain. The blaze was reported at about 2:35 p.m. Wednesday, when first-arriving crews reported flames showing through the roof of a 1,000-foot-by-500-foot commercial building, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The fire prompted a shelter-in-place order and smoke advisory Wednesday due to concerns about ammonia and heavy smoke. Ammonia is a common industrial chemical that can irritate the eyes and respiratory system when present in elevated concentrations.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District also extended a special particle pollution advisory through 12:30 p.m. Friday for areas east of downtown Los Angeles and portions of the San Gabriel Valley because of continued smoke impacts from the fire.
The agency said air monitoring conducted Wednesday evening found particulate matter levels were generally near background levels, although brief increases were detected within the smoke plume. No significant levels of toxic metals were observed.
Air quality officials advised residents who see or smell smoke to remain indoors with windows and doors closed and to use an air purifier if available.
Officials anticipated the recent shelter-in-place order to be lifted Thursday evening, though an exact time wasn’t immediately available, according to an LAFD spokesperson. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.