According to CBS, a fire still continues at a large commercial storage facility in Los Angeles, California on June 20 local time. Mayor Bass announced that the city has entered a state of local emergency.
According to reports, the fire was first reported on the afternoon of June 17 local time. The facility where the fire occurred covers an area of 500,000 square feet (approximately 46,000 square meters) and is used for storing frozen food.
Fire scene CBS
According to a report by The Guardian on the 17th, a fire broke out on the roof of the facility, emitting thick black smoke and releasing ammonia gas. Jennifer Middleton, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said that when firefighters arrived at the scene, the solar panels on the roof had already caught fire.
On June 20th local time, Jamie Moore, director of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said that the burning facility was 'like a huge refrigerator.'
Moor pointed out that the walls are filled with high-density foam materials, which make it difficult to control fires. This is because once the foam insulation material is ignited, it will continue to burn slowly.
He stated that with the assistance of the water-dropping helicopter, the fire has been controlled in about half of the area of the facility. The unaffected half of the area is filled with food. Since the refrigeration system must be turned off and the ammonia inside must be removed, the food has begun to thaw.
It is reported that there are still 85 million pounds (about 38,600 tons) of frozen food stored in the facility.
Murr said, "All of these foods are starting to rot. They are no longer frozen; they are warming up, and they are beginning to spoil. At first, we learned that most of the products were bread and wheat products. However, as we entered the building, we found that the situation was far from what we expected. There were also a large number of meat products inside."
Moor added that the current focus is on identifying areas that have not been affected and finding ways to transfer food before it spoils and becomes a biohazard issue.
Scene of the Fire - Associated Press
According to reports, despite the serious situation, officials stated that no firefighters or civilians were injured.
Residents were informed that although the smoke may be irritating, there is currently no order for evacuation or sheltering in place. Similar orders have been issued twice since the fire started, and have since been revoked.
On the afternoon of the 20th local time, Bath issued an emergency declaration aimed at 'ensuring that the city has the necessary resources to continue its operations and protecting community safety'.
The tenant and operator of this facility, Lineage Company, stated in their declaration that the fire may have originated from a third-party contractor testing solar panels on the roof.
The statement indicates that the company has learned from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the South Bay Air Quality Management District that no measurable levels of ammonia were detected in the community since the fire outbreak. In addition, the company has taken proactive measures to remove the ammonia from the area, thereby eliminating any risk posed by ammonia to the community.
The statement claims that the facility and its supply chain have provided hundreds of jobs in the local area, and no employees have been harmed.
Authorities warned that putting out this fire may take several days or even several weeks of time.
