The Los Angeles County Fire Department has been fighting a major fire at a warehouse used for cold-storage of food since Wednesday, with Mayor Karen Bass on Saturday declaring a local emergency because of smoke spreading across the city. File Photo by Stuart Palley/EPA
June 20 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Saturday issued a declaration of local emergency as the city continues to fight a major fire at a cold-storage warehouse in the city's Boyle Heights neighborhood.
The fire erupted on June 17 and has since caused smoke to blanket the surrounding area as the warehouse continues to smolder, leading the city to open 24-hour-per-day smoke relief centers for resident who cannot shelter-in-place.
The fire, which was described by Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jamie Moore as "a very unique challenge," started around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the 500,000-square-foot building, ABC7 and The Los Angeles Times reported.
Fire officials said that hazardous materials, including ammonia, have been removed from the building, but foam insulation inside of the building's walls, among other things, continues to burn.
