Merve Berker
21 June 2026•Update: 21 June 2026
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to a fire that has been burning for several days at a cold-food storage facility in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood, according to media reports on Saturday.
The declaration came as firefighters continue efforts to contain the blaze, which began on Wednesday and has affected air quality across parts of the region, according to NBC News.
“California is mobilizing to support Los Angeles as firefighters and emergency personnel continue their work to contain this fire and protect surrounding communities,” Newsom said.
State officials said they are preparing 5.5 million N95 masks, air purifiers, bottled water and other emergency supplies while expanding air-quality monitoring.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass earlier declared a local emergency, saying authorities were concerned about potential health impacts on nearby communities.
“We clearly need resources from the state to allow us to take the steps that are needed to make sure that this area is safe,” Bass said.
Officials said more than 85 million pounds (39 million kilograms) of frozen food stored at the facility could begin decomposing, raising concerns about possible biohazard conditions.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said hazardous refrigerants, including ammonia, had already been removed from the site.
Fire crews have deployed helicopters capable of dropping up to 3,000 gallons of water at a time and are using gel-based fire retardants to accelerate containment efforts, according to the report.
A smoke advisory remained in effect on Sunday as firefighters continued battling the blaze.
