Boyle Heights shelter-in-place order lifted before 11:30 a.m.

A shelter-in-place order for residents around a burning cold storage facility in Boyle Heights was lifted Friday just before 11:30 a.m., as Los Angeles Fire Department crews reported they were able to evacuate ammonia tanks that were onsite. The fire began Wed

Residents in a wider stretch of Boyle Heights received some relief Friday morning when Los Angeles Fire Department officials lifted a shelter-in-place order just before 11:30 a.m., ending a tense stretch that began after a fire broke out at a massive cold storage facility.

The fire at 1400 S. Los Palos St. started Wednesday afternoon. It was concentrated mostly in the solar-panel-covered roof area, where flames later reached an ammonia line. That contact led to several small explosions. and the blaze surged into a huge inferno. producing a pillar of thick. black smoke visible for miles.

As crews evacuated the area to avoid fumes, an earlier shelter-in-place order for residents in a larger area was issued. That order was lifted later Wednesday night. But the danger didn’t stay confined. On Thursday. crews discovered more fire in a different section of the building. prompting them to re-institute a shelter in place order. Friday’s lifting came after firefighters reported progress overnight.

“Overnight we were able to evacuate the ammonia tanks that were onsite that we were concerned about,” an LAFD official said during a televised interview. “They’ve been removed from the site completely.”

Even with the ammonia tanks removed, firefighters said the fire still posed serious hazards. The problem was partly physical and partly operational: the building is so large and the flames are in hard-to-reach areas that water-dropping helicopters have been used.

The LAFD official also described what firefighters encountered as they worked. He said solar panels and roofing materials were on fire, including nine inches of foam. He said the fire then reached the cold storage inside. where items are piled at least 58 feet high in each rack. Crews also faced additional risk from what he described as boxes and pallets that could fall on firefighters. preventing teams from going inside.

While the shelter-in-place order ended, the city’s warnings did not disappear. An LAFD alert Friday morning that accompanied the lifting cautioned that “Although smoke in the area has decreased, individuals with sensitivity to smoke should continue to … avoid unnecessary exposure to outdoor air.”

The smoke’s impact extended beyond public safety messaging. The smoke from the fire prompted a special particle pollution advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, expected to remain in effect until 12:30 p.m.

The facility itself is nearly 500. 000 square feet and is owned by Lineage Logistics. which provides cold storage and blast-freezing inside the structure. The multi-day effort has been marked by changing fire conditions—from the first surge that produced a visible plume of smoke. to the overnight work that removed onsite ammonia tanks. to the ongoing challenges of controlling a blaze in an enormous facility where key hotspots remain difficult to reach.

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