LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an emergency declaration Saturday as crews continued battling a massive warehouse fire that has filled the sky with thick smoke and raised concerns about hazardous air in nearby communities.
“The city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke, and we will continue working around the clock and doing everything possible to put this fire out completely,” Bass said in a statement announcing the emergency action.
The blaze broke out Wednesday at a privately owned cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, triggering shelter-in-place orders because of potential air-quality hazards. Residents in the area were advised to shut windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning systems and move people and pets into an interior room.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said during a news conference that firefighters had addressed the hazardous materials concerns tied to the fire and were now focused on biohazard-related challenges.
“We have 85 million pounds of frozen food inside of this facility and the way the building has been laid out, it’s very difficult for us to get in there because there’s zero visibility inside,” Moore said. “Our firefighters are not able to just go in there and start moving pallets.”
Bass’ emergency declaration seeks recovery assistance through the California Disaster Assistance Act. The mayor also requested that state officials speed up access to resources and other relief programs.
Bass said protecting the health and safety of residents affected by the fire remains the city’s top priority. Officials are working to secure the support needed to remove toxic materials from the area and dispose of them safely in an effort to prevent a larger environmental emergency.
“So this is about prevention,” she said. “This is about protecting your public health.”
