LA Mayor Declares Emergency Amid Massive Warehouse Fire Threat
WHO:
CNN - Mayor Bass stated, “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.”
CNN - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared an emergency.
CNN - Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore provided updates on the fire situation.
WHAT:
CBS News - The fire was reported at the 500,000-square-foot Lineage Big Bear facility at 1400 S. Los Palos Street, which is used to store frozen foods.
CBS News - The building used ammonia in its refrigeration system, which may have fueled the fire.
CBS News - Firefighters have controlled the fire to approximately half of the building, but the unaffected half is filled with food that has begun to thaw.
CBS News - Fire Chief Jaime Moore stated that the food inside includes chicken, beef, pork, and fish, and that it is beginning to spoil.
CBS News - Authorities are working to isolate unaffected areas while evaluating how to safely remove remaining goods before spoilage creates additional biohazard concerns.
CBS News - No injuries have been reported among firefighters or civilians, and there is currently no order for evacuation or shelter-in-place.
CBS News - Two shelter locations have opened: Pecan Recreation Center at 145 S. Pecan Street and City Terrace Park at 1126 N. Hazard Avenue.
CBS News - California is mobilizing to support Los Angeles with 5.5 million N95 respirator masks, commercial-grade air purifiers, bottled water, and emergency supplies.
CNN - The mayor's declaration requests recovery help under the California Disaster Assistance Act and asks the state to expedite access to resources and other relief programs.
CNN - Chief Jaime Moore mentioned they are now addressing biohazard challenges related to the fire.
CNN - An emergency was declared to secure resources to fight a large warehouse fire.
CNN - The fire is located in a privately owned cold-storage warehouse.
CNN - The warehouse contains 85 million pounds of frozen food.
NY Post - The fire has reignited and is growing out of control.
WHERE:
CNN - The fire is in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
CNN - Shelter-in-place orders were issued for the surrounding area.
WHEN:
CNN - The fire started on Wednesday.
CNN - The emergency declaration was made on Saturday.
WHY:
CBS News - The emergency declaration is intended to provide the city with greater flexibility to coordinate emergency response efforts and secure additional resources.
CNN - Mayor Bass emphasized that their chief concern is for the health and safety of the people impacted by the fire, stating, “So this is about prevention. This is about protecting your public health.”
CNN - The emergency declaration aims to ensure the city gets necessary resources to combat the fire and protect public health.
CNN - Mayor Bass emphasized the need to prevent a major environmental disaster by moving toxic materials away from the area.
HOW:
CBS News - Firefighters have been using continuous helicopter water drops and large aerial ladder pipes to direct thousands of gallons of water per minute onto the building to contain the blaze.
CNN - Residents were instructed to close all windows, doors, and vents, turn off air conditioning, and bring people and pets to an inside room due to hazardous air risks.
CNN - Firefighters are facing challenges due to zero visibility inside the warehouse, making it difficult to access the fire directly.
(UPDATED June 21, 2026 06:32 UTC)
A significant fire has erupted at the Lineage Big Bear facility in Los Angeles, which spans 500,000 square feet and is used for storing frozen foods, with ammonia in its refrigeration system potentially fueling the flames. Firefighters have managed to control the blaze to about half of the building, but the unaffected section is filled with thawing food, including chicken, beef, pork, and fish, which is now beginning to spoil. Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries, and while two shelter locations have been opened for those affected, California is mobilizing to support the city with millions of N95 respirator masks and other emergency supplies.
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(UPDATED June 21, 2026 04:17 UTC)
Mayor Bass announced that the city and county have opened spaces for families seeking relief from the smoke and are committed to working around the clock to extinguish the fire completely. In her declaration, she requested recovery assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act and urged the state to expedite access to resources and relief programs, while Chief Jaime Moore noted that they are also tackling biohazard challenges stemming from the fire. Emphasizing the importance of public health, Mayor Bass stated, “So this is about prevention. This is about protecting your public health.”
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(UPDATED June 21, 2026 01:46 UTC)
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has declared an emergency to secure resources for battling a large warehouse fire in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, where a privately owned cold-storage facility is ablaze, containing 85 million pounds of frozen food. The fire has reignited and is growing out of control, prompting shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents, who are advised to close all windows and doors and stay indoors due to hazardous air risks. Firefighters are encountering significant challenges, including zero visibility inside the warehouse, which complicates their efforts to directly access the fire.