Boyle Heights fire sends thick smoke over LA

Key Points:

• A fire broke out Wednesday afternoon on the roof of the Lineage cold food storage facility in Boyle Heights, near downtown Los Angeles, producing a large smoke plume visible for miles.
• The roof, covered in solar panels, posed challenges for firefighters, who used ladder trucks to spray water and were briefly pulled off the roof as flames approached one end of the building.
• A shelter-in-place order was issued for nearby areas due to the fire reaching an ammonia line, though officials confirmed the ammonia has been contained and is only a risk to those with respiratory issues.
• The Los Angeles Police Department declared a city-wide tactical alert to increase officer availability for traffic control, road closures, and evacuations related to the incident.
• Over 130 firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department, supported by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, responded to the blaze; no injuries have been reported and the cause remains under investigation.