**17.57
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County as a massive warehouse fire in Boyle Heights continues to burn for a fifth day, News.az reports.
The blaze broke out on June 17 at a large cold-storage facility and has created serious air-quality and public health concerns. Officials say the warehouse contained around 85 million pounds of frozen food, raising fears of biohazard risks as the cleanup begins.
The situation was further complicated by an ammonia leak from the facility’s refrigeration system. Authorities have urged nearby residents to limit outdoor activity, while the state is deploying emergency resources, including millions of N95 masks.
Fire crews are still working to control remaining hot spots, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
** 16.40
The blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon at the Lineage Big Bear cold-storage facility—a sprawling, 500,000-square-foot warehouse in LA’s Boyle Heights neighborhood. Because the building is designed like a giant cooler—featuring thick corrugated steel walls packed with dense foam insulation—the fire has trapped itself deep inside, creating near-zero visibility and forcing firefighters to battle the flames entirely from the outside, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
The official emergency declaration clears the way for a massive state response, with California pre-positioning 5.5 million N95 respirator masks, commercial-grade air purifiers, and advanced air-quality monitoring equipment for impacted communities. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also enacted a local emergency to fast-track municipal resources to the scene.
***
While hazardous refrigeration chemicals like ammonia have safely been cleared from the site, a new crisis is mounting. Officials warn that more than 85 million pounds (39 million kilograms) of frozen food trapped inside the building is beginning to thaw and rot, creating a potential biohazard situation. To contain the stubborn hot spots, crews have deployed large water-dropping helicopters—typically reserved for wildfires—alongside gel-based fire retardants to bring the multi-day incident under control.
