By SDCN Staff
Sacramento, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom Saturday proclaimed a State of Emergency for Los Angeles County in response to the ongoing warehouse fire in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, directing state agencies to support local response efforts and help protect public health and safety.
The emergency proclamation authorizes the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and state agencies to provide additional assistance and resources as needed to support response and recovery efforts and mitigate impacts to surrounding communities.
The State of Emergency proclamation directs state agencies to coordinate closely with local partners, provide emergency management support, suspend public contracting rules for emergency response resources, and help expedite access to resources necessary to support response and recovery operations.
“California is mobilizing to support Los Angeles as firefighters and emergency personnel continue their work to contain this fire and protect surrounding communities. While local officials continue to lead this response, the State of California is prepared to help safeguard public health, support emergency operations, and assist impacted residents. We are coordinating closely with our local partners, deploying specialized expertise, and pre-positioning critical supplies so communities have the support they need both now and throughout recovery,” Governor Newsom stated in a release.
“Cal OES is working side-by-side with the City and County of Los Angeles and our regional partners to ensure they have the resources, information, and support necessary to respond to this incident,” said Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs. “The State of Emergency allows us to further streamline coordination efforts and leverage additional state capabilities as needed. Our focus remains on protecting communities and supporting locally led response operations.”
The Cal OES remains in close coordination with the Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles City and County officials, and other local partners.
While local officials have not requested additional state resources at this time, the state has proactively pre-positioned and made available significant public health and emergency response assets should conditions warrant their deployment.
These resources include:
5.5 million N95 respirator masks available for distribution to impacted communities.
Commercial-grade air purifiers available for deployment to evacuation centers, community facilities, and other public spaces.
Bottled water and other emergency supplies available through the state’s logistics network.
Enhanced air quality monitoring and technical support resources.
In addition, Cal OES has deployed Fire and Rescue Branch leaders with specialized technical expertise to work alongside local fire officials and provide consultation on suppression strategies and operational considerations associated with complex warehouse and hazardous materials fires.
The state previously deployed similar technical expertise during the Garden Grove hazardous materials incident in Orange County, where state-local coordination helped support operational decision-making and response efforts. The same collaborative approach is being utilized to support local officials as they manage the Boyle Heights incident.
The State of California remains prepared to provide additional personnel, equipment, public health resources, and logistical support should local officials determine those resources are needed.
The warehouse fire has produced significant smoke and particulate matter that may affect air quality in surrounding neighborhoods.
To support public health monitoring efforts, the California Air Resources Board is coordinating with local and regional partners to ensure access to air quality information and technical expertise. State agencies continue to monitor conditions and stand ready to deploy additional monitoring resources if requested.
The state also has protective equipment and air filtration resources available to support community needs, particularly for vulnerable populations, including seniors, children, pregnant individuals, and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions.
On June 17, Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a fire at a large single-story commercial building at 1400 South Los Palos Street in East Los Angeles following an alarm at 2:35 p.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed flames venting through the roof of the approximately 1,000-by-500-foot structure. Crews launched an aggressive interior attack, but about 15 minutes into the operation, a suspected ammonia leak prompted Incident Command to transition to a defensive strategy. While firefighting efforts continued from the exterior, Los Angeles Fire Department personnel worked to locate the source of the leak and implement mitigation measures.
As a precaution, the fire building and adjacent businesses were evacuated in the early stages of the incident. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area, with advisories extended to surrounding areas to the north and east. Incident Command has since lifted all orders and advisories, and residents and employees.
The immense size of the cold-storage facility made ground access difficult for firefighters, prompting the use of an uncommon aerial strategy. In a rare move for a structure fire, Los Angeles Fire Department helicopters conducted water drops to help suppress the heaviest flames and slow the fire’s spread.
Although crews brought the blaze largely under control within six hours, firefighters expect suppression and overhaul operations to continue for an extended period. LAFD fire companies worked alongside hazardous materials specialists, drone operators, Urban Search and Rescue teams, and partner agencies in a coordinated effort to manage the incident and secure the scene.
