Warehouse fires have repeatedly reshaped the Los Angeles Fire Department and its procedures. Here\u2019s how past disasters compare to today\u2019s crisis in Boyle Heights.<\/p>\n
Smoke still hangs over Boyle Heights as the Lineage Logistics warehouse fire continues to burn<\/a>, prompting Los Angeles officials to distribute air purifiers and face masks and urge vulnerable residents to stay indoors.<\/p>\n The 500,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse contained ammonia, a chemical commonly used as an industrial refrigerant, which has leaked into the air. Officials have also warned that smoke from burning insulation and warehouse materials may contain additional airborne contaminants. Amid the uncertainty, residents are left weighing what the fire could mean for their own health and that of their families.<\/p>\n While the severity of this fire is unusual because of the building\u2019s heavily insulated construction, according to Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) spokesperson Jamie Stewart, industrial blazes themselves are not uncommon in Los Angeles. These are some of the most dangerous warehouse fires the city has seen over the last half-century.<\/p>\n 1974 Star Trucking and Warehouse Explosion\u00a0<\/p>\n In the late summer of 1974, Los Angeles residents were still reeling from a bombing at Los Angeles International Airport that killed three and injured 36 others. Just 11 days later, on Aug. 17, another blast occurred at Star Trucking Company in East Los Angeles, which was felt as far as 20 miles away.\u00a0<\/p>\n The blast was reported to have only lasted a second, but the destruction remained long after. Firefighters spent roughly two hours stamping out the blaze. By then, the 500-by-500-foot warehouse had collapsed into piles of rubble, twisted metal and brick. Windows shattered across surrounding buildings and in dozens of structures blocks away.<\/p>\n Initial fears that another bombing had occurred subsided after investigators determined the explosion was caused by unstable chemicals stored inside a nearby truck trailer. This led to the formation<\/a> of three LAFD Strategic Chemical Attack Teams responsible for future hazardous material incidents.<\/p>\n 1985 Research Organic\u2011Inorganic Chemical Co. Warehouse Fire<\/p>\n When a chemical warehouse caught fire on April 13, 1985, many of the first responders battling the blaze were exposed to its toxic aftermath. First responders spent 80 minutes extinguishing the fire before dozens of police officers and firefighters reported injuries tied to smoke and chemical exposure.<\/p>\n Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report<\/a>, the building was loaded with cyanide compounds, caustic acids and radioactive powdered uranium \u2013 chemicals that can sometimes be deadly upon exposure. 56 police officers and firefighters sustained injuries, suffering from fume inhalation and exposure to toxic substances.\u00a0<\/p>\n The scale of contamination prompted an emergency response and cleanup effort led by the Environmental Protection Agency, while investigators examined the company\u2019s handling and storage of hazardous materials. The CDC later found some responders on scene developed rashes and reported neurotoxic symptoms that persisted for months and, in some cases, more than a year after the fire.<\/p>\n The aftermath ultimately led to criminal charges against the company\u2019s owner related to the unlawful disposal and reckless storage of hazardous and radioactive waste. The toxic blaze led to procedural changes within the department, such as stricter safety zones, changes to hazardous material response procedures, and the creation of a hazardous materials committee following federal recommendations.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2020 Downtown L.A. Smoke Tokes Fire<\/p>\n Another fire that led to criminal charges was on May 16, 2020, when Smoke Tokes, a warehouse distributor, exploded in a downtown Los Angeles area dubbed \u201cBong Row.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The fire, caused by hazardous materials that were being illegally stored, raged so hot that firefighters\u2019 helmets reportedly melted, several surrounding buildings were damaged and 12 responders were hospitalized for injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas, firefighters entered the building before the flames exploded into a \u201cmassive fireball,\u201d forcing them back out. More than 230 firefighters responded to the scene and worked for an hour and 42 minutes before the blaze was extinguished.\u00a0<\/p>\n Terrazas vowed the LAFD arson investigators would find the cause of the fire in order to ensure a similar incident would not be repeated.\u00a0<\/p>\n Later that same year, Los Angeles reported<\/a> that developer and owner of the building Steve Sungho Lee was hit with 300 criminal charges relating to \u201cfailures to post adequate hazardous materials warning signs, create clear aisles, or correctly classify the hazardous substances.\u201d Lee was ultimately granted a diversion<\/a> and ordered to pay more than $15,000 in investigative fees and ensure his properties meet fire and building codes in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n