State of emergency declared as Boyle Heights fire continues to burn

We are hearing from the Lineage company for the first time since a massive fire involving solar panels broke out at their cold storage facility in Boyle Heights.

The company released the following statement on Thursday:

"Lineage's top priority is the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We are deeply grateful to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) for their rapid response, professionalism, and continued support in protecting the community.

"LAFD hazmat specialists continue to monitor air quality in the structure and immediate area. Importantly, there are no known ammonia readings from air monitoring reported at this time. We are also encouraged that our employees were safely evacuated and there are no reported injuries. We are working closely with local officials and first responder teams to assess the situation and provide support.

"This is an evolving matter, and we will provide updates as appropriate."

A new shelter-in-place order was issued Thursday afternoon as firefighters began ventilating smoke from the facility that burned.

The order covers an area south of the 101 Freeway to roughly Washington Boulevard, east of Lorena Street and west of Indiana Street. Residents in the area west of Lorena Street are being advised that they may see smoke as a result of the ventilation work.

A new shelter-in-place order was issued Thursday in the Boyle Heights area as the Los Angeles Fire Department works to ventilate a warehouse that burned.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.

A special particle pollution advisory has been extended through Friday, June 19, at 12:30 p.m., the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced on Thursday.

Officials said the area was checked Wednesday afternoon for measurements of particulate matter and airborne metals.

"Preliminary results from the mobile monitoring showed particulate matter was generally near background levels, however, elevated particulate matter concentrations were observed for a few seconds at a time within the plume," said South Coast AQMD in an update. "During those few seconds, increased levels of bromine and chlorine were also observed."

Bromine and chlorine are typically found at trace levels during structural fires and the levels seen were "below short-term health-based exposure thresholds," the agency said.

Concentrations below that level aren't expected to cause harmful health effects, South Coast AQMD said.

South Coast AQMD also said no significant levels of toxic air metals were seen.

The agency said it will continue to review particulate matter data from its regional air monitors as well as local air quality sensor networks.

On the day after a massive fire erupted on the roof of a warehouse in Boyle Heights, LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said Thursday that the air at the scene was again safe to breathe.

"We've been monitoring the air throughout this incident, monitoring the smoke columns, we're monitoring downwind," Moore said at a news conference near the cold storage facility that was still smoldering. "We're monitoring in the building, we're monitoring outside the building, and we're getting absolutely no readings of any concern.

On the day after a massive fire erupted on the roof of a warehouse in Boyle Heights, LAFD Chief Jaime Moore said Thursday that the air at the scene was again safe to breathe.

The fire chief noted that conditions where he and reporters were standing were "clear as can be. The prevailing winds have blown most of the smoke away."

On Thursday, LAFD spokesperson Jennifer Middleton said there was previous concern over the fire burning an ammonia line, but that danger had "dissipated." The roof blaze had been extinguished by late afternoon and firefighters were entering the building to assess the interior, Middleton said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.