Massive fire at a warehouse in Boyle Heights; Ammonia leak suspected

LOS ANGELES – A massive fire broke out at a warehouse near Boyle Heights.

SkyFOX was over the scene at the Lineage freight building in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 17.  According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the solar panels on the roof caught on fire, with the flames extending to various parts of the warehouse.

As of 6 p.m., crews have since made significant progress in containing the fire.

A shelter-in-place order had been declared for Genasys LFD Zone 1279. That area covers south of the 101 Freeway near Washington Boulevard to east of Soto Street to Indiana Street.

Possible ammonia leak in Boyle Heights?

FOX 11’s crew at the scene reports a suspected ammonia leak at the warehouse. LAFD confirmed the fire reached the ammonia line at the building, and added the ammonia exposure would not necessarily be toxic, but may be worth monitoring for individuals nearby the scene with respiratory issues.

Below is a list provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on symptoms of high levels of ammonia:

• Abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting
• Coughing or coughing up white or pink colored fluid
• Skin blisters, pain, or redness
• Burning feeling in the nose, throat, lungs and eyes
• Narrowing of the throat and swelling
• Permanent or temporary blindness
• Frostbite, if exposed to liquified ammonia

Officials did not say what caused the fire.

The backstory:

Wednesday’s incident does not appear to be the first time that area caught on fire. The solar panel from the same building had caught on fire on August 14, 2024. It took 80 LAFD firefighters to take down the 2024 fire in a little more than 45 minutes. No one was injured in the Aug. 2024 fire.

The warehouse was first built in 2018.

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