People who live nearby are bracing for a third night of the persistent smoke. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026.
A fire at a 500,000-square-foot cold food storage building in Boyle Heights flared up again Friday, sending black and white smoke into the sky just hours after a shelter-in-place order was lifted for those who live nearby.
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The Los Angeles Fire Department said it dispatched crews on standby in anticipation of a change in wind conditions that ultimately caused the flare-up inside the Lineage warehouse-style building, which continued to smolder after its solar paneled-covered rooftop caught fire around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
In a news conference Friday evening, LAFD Battalion Chief Nicholas Ferrari said the flare-up was predicted and that flames burned through the roof, allowing smoke to escape from the inside while increasing visibility for firefighters.
“You are going to see this fire ebb and flow through different conditions of smoke. The smoke will go away, and it’ll look like we have the fire out, and then 10 minutes later, it could flare up again,” Ferrari said. “This is all predicted, and it’s all part of our strategy to effectively attack this fire.”
He also emphasized the complexities of the firefight, which he described as an “extended event.” According to the LAFD, the entire building is a freezer with the walls and the roof made of insulated material; it holds around 75,000 pallets of food in 600-feet-long, 54-feet-tall aisles.
The shelter-in-place order, reissued Thursday for residents and businesses near the building, remained in effect into Friday morning as firefighters attempted to clear smoke from the building. The order was lifted at about 11:30 a.m., but a smoke advisory remains in effect, the LAFD said in an alert.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a particle pollution advisory until 12:30 p.m. Saturday as smoke continues to affect the air quality in areas east of downtown Los Angeles.
“I want to ask people when they can to please stay inside, keep your pets inside, and if you need to go outside for any reason, if you would please wear a mask,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during the Friday evening news conference.
A shelter has been established at the Pecan Recreation Center — located at 145 South Pecan Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033— for anyone who wants relief from the air quality. It was expected to remain open, including in the overnight hours, while the firefight continues.
Another shelter was expected to open at City Terrace Park, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis.
Flames still burned in areas that firefighters have not been able to access, largely due to structural concerns about the building. At a late morning news conference, the LAFD said there were flare-ups under solar panels that were difficult to access.
“We’re going to keep this fire as small as possible, and if we can extinguish it as soon as possible, that would be great,” said LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman. “Even though the fire is not huge, it is continuing to burn.”
Air quality monitors have been at the site. Readings did not detect anything hazardous beyond what’s normally found in fire smoke, Silverman said.
“Nothing has been found at this point, other than normal products of combustion,” he said. “If you can smell the smoke and not necessarily see it, we’d definitely advise you to stay indoors.”
As for the flare-ups, firefighters are concerned about placing firefighters in certain areas of the building due to possible structural damage from the fire and water drops on the rooftop. They’re attempting to determine whether the weight of the water on the roof compromised its structural integrity.
Three water-dropping helicopters made several runs Wednesday on the fire, a rarely used tactic during structure fires. Each drop contained about 480 gallons of water, a gallon of which weighs about 8 pounds, LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said Thursday.
“We’re looking at options to see how we can better get water on the fire,” Silverman said. “There’s definitely structural compromise on the roof. It was burning for hours and hours. That’s why we’re not putting people inside the building at this point.”
Silverman mentioned that equipment powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are highly combustible when damaged and can burn for long periods of time, was moved to a portion of the building not affected by fire. There was no evidence indicating the equipment or batteries were damaged.
In an update Thursday evening, the LAFD said crews found a pocket of fire in a freezer container inside the building. Video from NewsChopper4 late Thursday showed gray and white smoke still billowing out of the building as more water drops were being made.
South Coast AQMD dispatched an inspector and mobile monitoring equipment. A survey on Wednesday night included measurements of particulate matter and airborne metals. Preliminary test results showed the particulate matter was generally near background levels.
“Increased levels of bromine and chlorine were also observed,” the agency said. “Bromine and chlorine are typically found at trace levels during structural fires, and the levels seen were below short-term health-based exposure thresholds. Concentrations below this level are not expected to cause adverse health effects. No significant levels of air toxic metals were seen.”
The agency will continue to monitor conditions for potential air quality impacts.
When the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon, a pressurized ammonia line in the building was damaged, causing the release of pressurized ammonia. The chemical was contained.
The fire’s origin was on the rooftop, but authorities have not determined a cause. Most of the fire was contained to the solar array on the rooftop, but parts of the interior were damaged. Although the power was shut down, fire officials said the situation remained challenging for crews since solar panels still conduct electricity.
A spokesperson from Lineage, the food storage company, sent NBCLA the following statement on Friday:
“Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of the community, and we are continuing to work closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department and other agencies to provide any assistance we can. We are grateful to Los Angeles’ remarkable firefighters for their ongoing and brave efforts.
“Lineage is the tenant-operator of this building. At this time, we believe the fire began while testing was being conducted by contractors of the third-party owner of the solar array located on the facility’s roof.
“This facility is not used for the storage of hazardous materials. It primarily serves as a temperature-controlled storage facility for frozen food before it makes its way to Greater Los Angeles area communities and beyond.
“Our understanding from LAFD and AQMD is that there have been no measurable ammonia concentrations recorded in the community since the fire started. Additionally, Lineage has proactively taken additional steps to pump out the ammonia and transport it offsite, removing the possibility of ammonia posing a risk to the community.
“This facility and the supply chain it connects with employ hundreds of local jobs. We are grateful that no team members at the facility were harmed.”
A 2024 fire on the roof of the building was caused by an electrical problem, the LAFD said. That fire was knocked down using ladder trucks and hand lines.
