Environment & Energy

mahatmakanejeeves

(71,459 posts) Thu Jun 18, 2026, 04:03 AM 11 hrs ago

Massive fire at warehouse in Boyle Heights triggers shelter-in-place orders, rare helicopter drops

Massive fire at warehouse in Boyle Heights triggers shelter-in-place orders, rare helicopter drops

KABC
Last updated: Thursday, June 18, 2026 2:56AM EDT

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A massive fire involving solar panels erupted Wednesday afternoon on a commercial building in the Boyle Heights area of Los Angeles, sending a black column of smoke into the air visible for miles.

The inferno began shortly before 2:30 p.m. at a cold storage facility in the 1400 block of South Los Palos Street.

A shelter-in-place order was issued for the immediate area surrounding the building due to hazardous materials. City officials were asking everyone who lives in those areas to get inside immediately and close all windows and doors. They also advise to turn off air conditioning units and bring all pets indoors.

At least four water-dropping helicopters responded to the scene to help put out the blaze. The Los Angeles Police Department was on tactical alert due to this fire and later went on a modified tactical alert as firefighters got the upperhand.

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Jun 17, 2026, 10:34 PM EDT

Same storage facility roof with solar panels burned before in 2024

The roof full of solar panels on the very same Boyle Heights building burned in a fire two years ago.

On Aug. 14, 2024, firefighters responded to the same building on fire on the 1400 block of S. Los Palos Street.

Crews attacked the blaze and ended up saving the Lineage building following a firefight that lasted around 50 minutes. No injuries were reported, the LAFD said at the time.

According to their website, Lineage is the world's largest temperature-controlled warehousing company.

The company has more than 20 facilities in Southern California and several surrounding downtown Los Angeles. The facility at the center of Wednesday's fire is known as a port location, focusing on imports and exports of foods and beverages. Photos from inside show the high-volume inventory, with rows of cold storage stacked at least seven levels high.

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4 replies

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Massive fire at warehouse in Boyle Heights triggers shelter-in-place orders, rare helicopter drops (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves 11 hrs ago OP

Don't mix solar panels and flammable plastic insulation foam? hunter 6 hrs ago #1

Where'd you read about those materials ? eppur_se_muova 4 hrs ago #2

It's just the look of the fire and the fact that it's a cold storage facility. hunter 51 min ago #3

The orange faced man in the White House should be condemning solar panels momentarily... 3... 2... 1... OKIsItJustMe 24 min ago #4

hunter

(40,930 posts)

1. Don't mix solar panels and flammable plastic insulation foam?

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Thu Jun 18, 2026, 09:06 AM

6 hrs ago

That's my first guess.

Electrical connections that are not perfect will overheat. It's possible the plastic insulating foam is outgassing something that degrades electrical connections. Bad electrical connections overheat and there are multiple connections for each solar panel.

This is going to be an unpleasant experience for everyone involved in the construction of this solar roof.

eppur_se_muova

(42,846 posts)

2. Where'd you read about those materials ?

Reply to hunter (Reply #1)

Thu Jun 18, 2026, 10:28 AM

4 hrs ago

You're not referring to butane-filled plastic foam from China, are you ??

hunter

(40,930 posts)

3. It's just the look of the fire and the fact that it's a cold storage facility.

Reply to eppur_se_muova (Reply #2)

Thu Jun 18, 2026, 02:34 PM

51 min ago

I'm just speculating.

The plastics commonly used for insulating these buildings are fire resistant but will break down into flammable gasses and cause a self sustaining fire once they are hot enough.

The Grenfell Tower tragedy which killed seventy people in England was caused by plastic foam insulation that was not approved for use on high rise building. I'm guessing the foam insulation used in this warehouse was approved for this application, but maybe hadn't been tested with a dense overlay of solar panels.

Once the direct current wiring of these solar panels begins to char or melt electric arcing could be a constant source of re-ignition.

If any of this is the case we could see some changes in building codes and insurance rates which might lead to solar installations of this type being removed.

OKIsItJustMe

(22,364 posts)

4. The orange faced man in the White House should be condemning solar panels momentarily... 3... 2... 1...

Reply to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

Thu Jun 18, 2026, 03:01 PM

24 min ago

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/air-quality-boyle-heights-fire/3906166/

Air quality concerns diminishing after fire on Boyle Heights business' rooftop
Flames on the roof of the single-story cold food storage facility sent a thick smoke cloud over neighborhoods near downtown Los Angeles.

What to Know

Air quality monitoring showed no reasons for concerns early Thursday in Boyle Heights, where a fire on a rooftop covered in solar panels cast smoke over the region.

The fire that broke out at a Lineage cold food storage facility on South Los Palos Street in Boyle Heights appeared to be contained to the roof and solar panel system.

A shelter-in-place order was in effect for the area, but later lifted.

An ammonia line was compromised due to the blaze, but the leak was later contained, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

In August 2024, firefighters responded to a solar panel fire on the roof of the same building.

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