California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency over Los Angeles warehouse fire

A massive fire broke out on June 17 at a 491,000‑square‑foot cold‑storage warehouse owned by Lineage Logistics in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. The facility holds about 85 million pounds of frozen food that supplies roughly 10 million people. Thick, black smoke containing hazardous particulates and possible bio‑hazards from spoiling food spread across southeast Los Angeles, prompting a particle‑pollution advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency and requested state assistance. Governor Gavin Newsom subsequently declared a state of emergency, mobilizing public‑health resources including 5.5 million N95 masks, commercial‑grade air purifiers, bottled water and enhanced air‑quality monitoring. Shelter‑in‑place orders were issued, and smoke‑relief centers opened at Pecan Recreation Center and City Terrace Park. Firefighters faced visibility challenges inside the cold‑storage unit and employed a structural‑firefighting robot, water drops, and ventilation tactics. The fire re‑ignited on Friday due to deep‑seated hotspots and lithium‑ion batteries in on‑site forklifts, extending the incident.

No injuries have been reported among workers, but health officials warned residents—especially those with respiratory or cardiac conditions—to stay indoors, keep windows closed, and use N95/P100 masks if exposure is unavoidable. State and city agencies continue to coordinate containment, hazardous‑material mitigation and cleanup efforts.