Flames reignited at a warehouse in Boyle Heights, prompting a new shelter-in-place order. Lauren Coronado reports for the NBC4 News at 6 a.m. on June 19, 2026.
A shelter-in-place order was lifted Friday for residents near a 500,000-square-foot cold food storage building that continued to smolder after its solar paneled-covered rooftop caught fire earlier this week in Boyle Heights.
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The shelter-in-place order, reissued Thursday for residents and businesses near the Lineage warehouse-style 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.
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 east of downtown Los Angeles. Readings did not detect anything hazardous beyond the 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 advised 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.
A shelter-in-place order that was originally issued Wednesday had been lifted, but was reissued Thursday during the LAFD smoke ventilation operation. The order issued early Thursday afternoon was for an area east of Lorena Street, where residents were advised to stay inside and close doors and windows.
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 and inspector and mobile monitoring equipment. A survey Wednesday night included measurements of particulate matter and airborne metals. Preliminary test results showed the particulate matter was generally near background levels.
A special Particle Pollution Advisory issued Wednesday night due to potential smoke impacts was extended until 12:30 p.m. Friday.
“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 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.
A spokesperson from Lineage, the food storage company, sent NBCLA the following statement on Thursday:
Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We are deeply grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for their rapid response, professionalism, and continued support in protecting the community. LAFD hazmat specialists continue to monitor air quality in the structure and immediate area. Importantly, there are no known ammonia readings from air monitoring reported at this time. We are also encouraged that our employees were safely evacuated and there are no reported injuries. We are working closely with local officials and first responder teams to assess the situation and provide support. This is an evolving matter, and we will provide updates as appropriate.
