Warehouse Fire in L.A. Spreads Smoke Across Region

A warehouse fire at a cold-storage facility in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, has been burning and spreading smoke across the region for five days.

Firefighters reported progress in containing the blaze. A spokesperson from the Los Angeles Fire Department indicated that the smoke might start to clear soon. However, air quality in central Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley remains impacted by particulates. The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended its warning about poor air quality until midday Monday. Winds could carry the smoke as far as Riverside and Orange Counties.

The air quality agency noted that particulates reached ‘very unhealthy’ levels in certain areas over the weekend. The most significant smoke effects were expected north and east of the blaze, affecting the San Gabriel Valley and western Inland Empire.

Despite the smoke, major sporting events proceeded as planned. These included the World Cup match between Belgium and Iran at SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Dodgers game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium.

The fire at the Boyle Heights warehouse started Wednesday afternoon. Its thick, insulated walls have made it difficult to combat. Firefighters have also faced challenges extracting ammonia used as refrigerant and dealing with millions of gallons of frozen food.