LA declares local emergency as Boyle Heights cold-storage blaze rages
LA declared a local emergency as firefighters battle a massive, 500,000-square-foot cold-storage fire at a Lineage Logistics facility in Boyle Heights, sending dense smoke across the region and triggering air‑quality advisories and shelter‑in‑place orders (which were lifted and later reinstated). The warehouse stores about 85 million pounds of frozen food and involves lithium‑ion batteries and potential ammonia hazards, though Lineage says no hazardous materials are stored and ammonia levels have been mitigated. Crews are using helicopters and heavy equipment to contain smoldering pockets, with Red Cross shelters opened to provide smoke relief as authorities urge sensitive individuals to avoid exposure and wear masks if outdoors.