Understanding the Long Battle against a Major Warehouse Fire in Los Angeles
A week-long battle against a fire in a colossal frozen-food storage warehouse in downtown Los Angeles is still ongoing. Firefighters are yet to gain access to the building and are strategically taking down parts of the external walls to get inside.
The warehouse, a 500,000-square-foot (46,451-square-meter) structure, is notorious for its smoke emissions that continue to billow from within. The building, outfitted with solar panels and insulation akin to a freezer, is situated in close proximity to residential homes in Boyle Heights, a working-class neighborhood to the east of downtown. Residents were advised on Monday to remain indoors or wear masks to protect against smoke pollution.
Why is the Fire Enduring?
Fires in cold storage facilities are known to last for weeks due to the heavy insulation of the ceilings, walls and roofs that make them hard to put out. In this case, firefighters have been unable to enter the building due to the risk posed by towering heavy-duty steel rack shelving. Moreover, the insulation has hampered efforts to ventilate the roof quickly, a common strategy for releasing gas and smoke and improving visibility inside such facilities.
The warehouse is similar to the interior of a large wholesale or home improvement store, with rows that stretch 65-feet (20 meters) high and 650-feet (200 meters) long, filled with pallets and boxes of frozen food. The total weight of frozen food stored inside is approximately 85 million pounds (38.6 million kilograms).
"The entire roof has been compromised and is resting on top of these 65-foot towers," said the Fire Department Chief. "It's extremely risky, and I don't foresee ever putting our firefighters in such danger." In response, firefighters have started to dismantle the exterior walls on specific sides of the building and are flooding it with large volumes of water.
The Origin of the Fire
The company in charge of the facility, Lineage Logistics, suggested that the fire might have started when subcontractors were working on the solar panels on the roof. However, the official cause of the fire hasn't been confirmed yet. The company is cooperating with the fire officials investigating the incident.
According to the Fire Department Chief, preliminary findings suggest the warehouse, rented by Lineage, had the roof leased to a solar company. The fire reportedly ignited while work was being done on the panels.
What’s Inside the Facility?
The facility, named Big Bear, is used to store a variety of products such as seafood, pork, beef, and poultry before they are distributed to grocery stores and restaurants on the U.S. West Coast. Further details about the stored food and the companies affected by the fire were not immediately available.
Air Quality Concerns
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a warning about poor air quality in the area until Tuesday afternoon, due to the continuous production of smoke from the blaze. This smoke carries microscopic particles, known as PM2.5, that can deeply penetrate the lungs.
Light winds may also spread the smoke in all directions, potentially affecting other parts of metropolitan LA. Residents in the most affected areas are advised to avoid strenuous physical activity, close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets inside. Those who need to go outside should wear an N95 or P100 mask.
A local City Councilmember voiced residents' concerns about what materials and chemicals were inside the warehouse, what has burned and what is still burning. She emphasized the need for air quality results to include this information and be released in English and Spanish in a manner that regular people can comprehend.
She said families, workers and other residents are "seeing the smoke and smelling the odors and finding ash and debris near their homes and businesses." "We still do not have enough clear information about what burned and what may still be burning," she added.
A week-long battle against a fire in a colossal frozen-food storage warehouse in downtown Los Angeles is still ongoing. Firefighters are yet to gain access to the building and are strategically taking down parts of the external walls to get inside.
The warehouse, a 500,000-square-foot (46,451-square-meter) structure, is notorious for its smoke emissions that continue to billow from within. The building, outfitted with solar panels and insulation akin to a freezer, is situated in close proximity to residential homes in Boyle Heights, a working-class neighborhood to the east of downtown. Residents were advised on Monday to remain indoors or wear masks to protect against smoke pollution.
Why is the Fire Enduring?
Fires in cold storage facilities are known to last for weeks due to the heavy insulation of the ceilings, walls and roofs that make them hard to put out. In this case, firefighters have been unable to enter the building due to the risk posed by towering heavy-duty steel rack shelving. Moreover, the insulation has hampered efforts to ventilate the roof quickly, a common strategy for releasing gas and smoke and improving visibility inside such facilities.
The warehouse is similar to the interior of a large wholesale or home improvement store, with rows that stretch 65-feet (20 meters) high and 650-feet (200 meters) long, filled with pallets and boxes of frozen food. The total weight of frozen food stored inside is approximately 85 million pounds (38.6 million kilograms).
"The entire roof has been compromised and is resting on top of these 65-foot towers," said the Fire Department Chief. "It's extremely risky, and I don't foresee ever putting our firefighters in such danger." In response, firefighters have started to dismantle the exterior walls on specific sides of the building and are flooding it with large volumes of water.
The Origin of the Fire
The company in charge of the facility, Lineage Logistics, suggested that the fire might have started when subcontractors were working on the solar panels on the roof. However, the official cause of the fire hasn't been confirmed yet. The company is cooperating with the fire officials investigating the incident.
According to the Fire Department Chief, preliminary findings suggest the warehouse, rented by Lineage, had the roof leased to a solar company. The fire reportedly ignited while work was being done on the panels.
What’s Inside the Facility?
The facility, named Big Bear, is used to store a variety of products such as seafood, pork, beef, and poultry before they are distributed to grocery stores and restaurants on the U.S. West Coast. Further details about the stored food and the companies affected by the fire were not immediately available.
Air Quality Concerns
The South Coast Air Quality Management District has extended a warning about poor air quality in the area until Tuesday afternoon, due to the continuous production of smoke from the blaze. This smoke carries microscopic particles, known as PM2.5, that can deeply penetrate the lungs.
Light winds may also spread the smoke in all directions, potentially affecting other parts of metropolitan LA. Residents in the most affected areas are advised to avoid strenuous physical activity, close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets inside. Those who need to go outside should wear an N95 or P100 mask.
A local City Councilmember voiced residents' concerns about what materials and chemicals were inside the warehouse, what has burned and what is still burning. She emphasized the need for air quality results to include this information and be released in English and Spanish in a manner that regular people can comprehend.
She said families, workers and other residents are "seeing the smoke and smelling the odors and finding ash and debris near their homes and businesses." "We still do not have enough clear information about what burned and what may still be burning," she added.