Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of local emergency this Saturday (20), due to a large warehouse fire that has been raging for several days.
The fire started on Wednesday (17), in the historic neighborhood of Boyle Heights, close to the city center. As part of the emergency declaration, Bass asked the state government to expedite access to state and federal resources as well as other disaster relief programs.
The mayor also requested that the state suspend regulations that could hamper response efforts. The city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County have opened sites for families experiencing smoke and fumes related to the fires.
Remember how the fire started
The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. local time at a 46,450-square-foot warehouse owned by Lineage, the world’s largest temperature-controlled warehouse real estate investment trust, in the Boyle Heights neighborhood, said chief Jaime Moore.
The flames quickly spread from the solar panels on the roof and reached a pressurized ammonia pipe, although the fire remained largely confined.
The Reuters news agency was able to verify the location of the images based on the shape of the building, the fence, the vegetation, the traffic light and the overhead wiring, which correspond to archive images of the area. The date was confirmed through statements from the local fire department and corroborating reports.
Fire commanders mobilized helicopters to drop water in an unusual measure to help contain the fire, after crews had difficulty accessing the roof and were forced to retreat due to the .
