Los Angeles declared a state of emergency due to a persistent fire in a warehouse in Boyle Heights that has been burning for days.
Here's a summary of what we know:
What do we know about the cause of the fire?
Lineage Logistics, the building's tenant-operator, said in a statement that it believes the fire started while outside contractors were testing solar panels on the roof.
What does a state of emergency mean?
The declaration activates the city's emergency response structure, directs departments to assess damage and costs and requests state assistance to support firefighting, cleanup, environmental monitoring and community recovery efforts. As of Saturday afternoon, the state has not declared an emergency.
Why has it been so difficult to turn it off?
The fire started on Wednesday and has been burning for four days.
The 500,000-square-foot commercial building stores 85 million pounds of frozen food “like a giant cooler,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jamie Moore. The corrugated steel walls are filled with very dense foam, which burns slowly and emits gases despite the constant drops of water falling from the helicopters.
LAFD Deputy Chief Jon O'Brien said Saturday that large pockets of smoldering fire remain buried under structural debris and solar panels.
The building is so large and the flames are in such difficult-to-reach areas that firefighters have had to be creative in getting closer, using water-dropping helicopters and other heavy equipment.
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What are the impacts on air quality and health?
Moore warned people with lung problems or sensitivity to smoke to avoid outdoor activities, but said crews have mitigated hazardous materials at the site. However, they remain concerned about the biological risks that spoiled food can pose.
Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said the main public health concern was smoke and fine particles that can cause ear, nose, throat and lung irritation, as well as exacerbate heart and lung conditions.
Sensitive people were encouraged to wear well-fitting N95 and P100 masks and sign up for emergency notifications at alertla.org.
What about battery risk?
Officials have discussed the possibility of lithium-ion batteries inside the building. Batteries are often used to store energy produced by solar panels, although officials could not immediately confirm if that was the case in Boyle Heights.
However, they said the building houses about 60 forklifts that are powered by lithium-ion batteries, although they are “currently unburned.” The threat posed by the batteries was at least mitigated when 56 of the forklifts were moved or isolated from the flames in a dangerous operation, LAFD Battalion Chief Nicholas Ferrari said.
