A smoke advisory remains in place for particle pollution from the days-old fire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Saturday after the Los Angeles mayor asked for state disaster support in the wake of an ongoing warehouse fire that continues to burn more than three days after it started on June 17.
“California is mobilizing to support Los Angeles as firefighters and emergency personnel continue their work to contain this fire and protect surrounding communities,” Newsom said in a statement.
The state has predeployed public health and emergency resources to the city, including 5.5 million N95 masks and commercial-grade air purifiers for community facilities.
“We are coordinating closely with our local partners, deploying specialized expertise, and pre-positioning critical supplies so communities have the support they need both now and throughout recovery,” Newsom said.
Caroline Thomas Jacobs, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), said in a statement that her agency is “working side-by-side with the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, and our regional partners to ensure they have the resources, information, and support necessary to respond to this incident.”
“The State of Emergency allows us to further streamline coordination efforts and leverage additional state capabilities as needed,” she added. “Our focus remains on protecting communities and supporting locally led response operations.”
The state is also assisting with “enhanced air quality monitoring and technical support resources,” Newsom’s office said.
Smoke is still emanating from the fire at the warehouse, which first responders are struggling to completely extinguish due to a lack of visibility inside the massive cold-storage facility in Boyle Heights—located just five miles southeast of downtown LA.
According to an update earlier Saturday from Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore, the risk from hazardous materials at the warehouse has been contained.
The damaged facility connects food products to approximately 10 million people, said Lineage Logistics, the private owner of the supply chain hub.
Local news stations showed smoke billowing from the burning roof of the 491,000-square-foot warehouse, where it is believed to have started around 2:30 p.m. on June 17. The roof of the facility is covered in solar panels.
The roof fire was extinguished within six hours, but firefighters are still struggling to gain entry to parts of the interior due to a buildup of thick smoke.
By Melanie Sun
