Firefighters cite progress as Boyle Heights fire burns fifth day

A stubborn cold-storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights has burned for a fifth day, with Los Angeles firefighters saying they’re making significant progress while residents across Los Angeles County report smoke-triggered health fears. Air quality remains advi

Fire crews worked through another long day on Sunday at a cold-storage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. fighting flames and smoke that have now stretched for five straight days. The Los Angeles Fire Department’s Chief Jaime Moore said firefighters have made significant progress and that. if the pace holds. the blaze should be out by the end of the week.

His message carried the confidence city officials have tried to project. But in neighborhoods across large swaths of Los Angeles. residents have kept describing the same problem: smoke pouring from the building. lingering in the air. and worsening conditions for people already worried about their health.

A particle pollution advisory issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District remains in effect through 12:30 p.m. Monday. Regulatory monitors show air quality levels ranging from “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “very unhealthy” since Saturday night in areas including Los Angeles County. the San Gabriel Valley and the northwest San Bernardino Valley. Residents posted complaints on social media about poor air quality. and officials said East Los Angeles. Boyle Heights and the San Gabriel Valley will continue to feel the effects of the smoke on Monday.

On Saturday, Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom jointly declared a state of emergency because of the unhealthful air quality. Moore said the declaration frees up funds that can bring more resources into the region. At a news conference Sunday afternoon. Moore said he was asking for 12 additional fire engines and six additional trucks to support firefighters.

“We’re going to continue to be working this fire throughout the clock,” Moore said. “I’m hoping by the end of this week, we’ll have this thing completely done and turned over to the building owner and building occupant.”

The fire began Wednesday at a 500,000-square-foot commercial building that stores 85 million pounds of frozen food. The warehouse’s corrugated steel walls are filled with dense foam. Moore suggested Sunday that the steel has protected most of the foam from burning. but the fire has still emitted gases. as crews have battled the blaze from the ground and with helicopters.

The operational challenge is visible even when progress is promised. Overnight Saturday and into Sunday. firefighters removed portions of the wall to improve access and to allow crews to advance into areas that had been otherwise inaccessible. The department also brought in helicopters capable of carrying higher quantities of water to the site.

Moore said the facility has remained at 45 degrees, a temperature he said mitigates the risk of it becoming a biohazard because of food spoilage. “The bio concerns are not there,” he said. “It is spoiling, but not at the levels that we were afraid of.”

Officials have also said firefighters are still dealing with poor visibility inside the facility due to its complicated layout.

As neighbors grapple with smoke and uncertainty. the city is also pointing to cleanup support from the company tied to the building. Bass said at the news conference that the building’s owner. Lineage Logistics. has committed $2 million to help residents and businesses affected by the persistent fire.

But Councilmember Ysabel Jurado pushed back, saying the burden shouldn’t fall on the community. “Boyle Heights did not create this crisis. and Boyle Heights should not be left to carry the burden of cleaning it up on their own. ” she said. She added that the city should hold the company accountable for a safe cleanup and for mitigating any environmental hazards.

On the ground, residents described smoke that hasn’t stayed contained to the immediate area. At Yia Caffe. a coffee shop a few blocks from the warehouse. manager Leo Miguel said the smoke has been affecting customers and employees. Many customers are opting to grab their drinks and leave rather than linger outside as smoke drifts through the neighborhood.

Miguel said the smoke smells “like chemicals and plastic. ” leaving his mouth feeling dry and making it “hard to breathe.” He said business has slowed since the fire began Wednesday and that conditions don’t appear to be improving. “I don’t think it’s getting better,” Miguel said. “If anything, it’s getting worse.”.

Hazy conditions were visible at Dodger Stadium, where manager Dave Roberts told reporters the Dodgers’ game against the Baltimore Orioles was expected to start on time as long as air quality did not deteriorate.

Wil Blake. who lives a block from Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. said he woke up Sunday morning to the smell of “soot and smoke” in the air. a reminder of last year’s wildfires. Blake said he keeps his windows open because his air conditioner has been out of service in recent weeks. He shut them after noticing the smoke. wore a mask outdoors. and went to a nearby Planet Fitness because he “needed to get some filtered air.”.

At the city’s smoke relief center at Pecan Recreation Center. Ashley Campos. 18. said her family left their home on Hicks Avenue near the fire because of health concerns. Campos said her 44-year-old mother has asthma, her 9-year-old brother has epilepsy, and her 68-year-old grandmother is battling cancer.

Campos said her family lives about two blocks from the warehouse and could smell smoke inside their home. She said they considered buying an air purifier, but found them either too expensive or unavailable for immediate delivery. “We didn’t want to even risk it,” Campos said. Her father remained at the family’s house “just in case anything happens.”.

Campos said her family has struggled to obtain an air purifier and has heard similar concerns from neighbors. “It’s really hard,” she said. “My dad tried looking for one, but he couldn’t find them.”

Health experts and meteorologists have warned that the danger from the smoke depends heavily on conditions as the fire continues. Michael Kleinman. a toxicologist and professor at UC Irvine’s Wen School of Population and Public Health. said the danger zone depends on how fast the wind is blowing and in what direction. He warned that throat irritation. stinging or watering of the eyes. or a runny nose can indicate a more serious reaction.

The potential biohazard posed by millions of pounds of spoiling food is “something that’s really unprecedented,” Kleinman said. “It’ll certainly be smelly and noxious, and bacteria and things are going to be growing in it,” he said. “Obviously not getting in contact with it is an issue. but if the stuff starts to burn. it adds this biological material to the plumes. and you’re going off into territory that really is very untested.”.

Dr. Robbie Munroe. a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. pointed to wind patterns as a key reason the fire’s effects have seemed widespread. He said Boyle Heights sits in the middle of the L.A. Basin. which typically brings morning winds from the south or southeast that might impact a larger portion of downtown Los Angeles. depending on how widespread the smoke is. Munroe said it “could get up to Glendale or the West Hollywood area.”.

As conditions shift in the afternoon, he said, the sea breeze can kick in—typically southwest to west—potentially pushing smoke further inland or away from the coast.

A reporter for The Times noted that traces of smoke were evident Sunday morning in Simi Valley.

Moore said the fire’s operational path continues to shift as crews work to access areas inside the facility. and he is asking for more equipment as the blaze burns through its fifth day. Even with those moves—and with air advisories still in effect—residents across the region are watching the same clock: waiting for the fire to finally go out. and hoping the smoke doesn’t linger long enough to leave lasting harm.

Boyle Heights fire Los Angeles Fire Department air quality advisory South Coast Air Quality Management District state of emergency Jaime Moore Karen Bass Gavin Newsom Lineage Logistics smoke relief center