Officials continued to block off part of the immediate area as the cleanup is still underway. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
A shelter-in-place order was lifted hours after a fire involving solar panels broke out at a commercial building in Boyle Heights, sending a large smoke plume over the area near downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Stream Los Angeles News for free, 24/7, wherever you are.
The fire was reported at about 2:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street on the roof of the single-story, nearly 491,000-square-foot Lineage cold food storage facility, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“There is a field of solar panels on the roof. That’s really where the fire was. It was a surface fire on the solar panels,” LAFD Chief Jaime Moore told NBC Los Angeles.
Thick, black smoke rising from the roof could be seen for miles around. In the early evening, most of the smoke was blowing east toward the San Gabriel Valley, NBCLA meteorologist David Biggar said, adding that it wasn’t dissipating at a high rate due to weak winds.
At one point, firefighters were called off the roof, but video from NewsChopper4 showed LAFD personnel on top of the building as flames neared one end of the structure. Several ladder trucks were spraying water on the roof.
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Three water-dropping helicopters — typically used for wildfires, not building fires — were effective in putting out the bulk of the flames and keeping the fire from spreading beyond the roof and solar panels.
An LAFD spokesperson said during a news conference that the blaze compromised an ammonia line, forcing the shelter-in-place order. The ammonia leak was contained by shutting valves, and testing of smoke and water runoff was showing normal levels, according to the fire department. Officials added that the chemical is not considered dangerous, except for those with respiratory issues.
The shelter-in-place order was in effect for areas near the fire, including south of the 101 Freeway to Washington Boulevard and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street. Residents and businesses were advised to close windows and doors, as well as limit outside activity. Moore said the order was not expected to expand.
“Although smoke in the area has decreased, individuals with sensitive health issues should continue to monitor the air quality, remain cautious, stay indoors, close all doors and windows to limit exposure to outdoor air,” an the LAFD said in an alert announcing that the order was lifted around 8:45 p.m.
Surrounding communities, mostly to the east, were under a smoke advisory.
The city of San Gabriel also recommended that residents shelter in place but said there was no threat to the city as of Wednesday afternoon.
Although the power was shut down, fire officials said the situation remained challenging for crews since solar panels still conduct electricity.
The Los Angeles Police Department issued a city-wide tactical alert amid the fire. The alert tells on-duty officers not to leave until notified, increasing the number of available officers for tasks, such as traffic control, road closures and evacuations.
“It allows us to quickly redistribute personnel between different divisions, and move those resources to manage major emergencies, like we see today with this fire,” LAPD Capt. Mike Bland told NBCLA. “It provides us the opportunity to maintain optimal resources in order to handle emergencies in an area, but also maintain police services throughout the city.”
About 70 people were evacuated on two streets, but those evacuations were expected to be lifted shortly, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said just before 7 p.m.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Details about a cause of the fire were not immediately available.
A spokesperson from Lineage, the food storage company, sent NBCLA the following statement on Wednesday evening:
“Lineage’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate. We are aware of the incident and 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.”
More than 130 LAFD firefighters were assigned to this incident. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it is assisting the LAFD.
In August 2024, firefighters responded to a solar panel fire on the roof of the same building, which was built in 2018. According to LAFD, that fire was extinguished in 48 minutes.
Leave a Reply