Article explains that a large fire involved rooftop panels on a large warehouse, the facility contained a lot of Ammonia, leading to some chemical concerns, but be sure that this will be spun to advance the “toxic solar” myth.
LOS ANGELES — L.A. fire officials said Wednesday evening that crews had gained the upper hand on a massive warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, halting the fire’s spread by 5:30 p.m.
Shelter-in-place orders were issued in the community in the afternoon as firefighters worked to combat the blaze, which involved an ammonia gas leak inside the cold storage facility.
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded shortly after 2:30 p.m. to the conflagration at 1400 S. Los Palos St. that burned through solar panels on the roof of the nearly 500,000 square-foot warehouse and sent a thick black plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles.
The flames reached an ammonia line, causing the chemical to begin off-gassing and prompting the LAFD to order all firefighters out of the building. Ammonia is commonly used as a refrigerant in large-scale commercial and industrial settings.
Crews assumed a defensive response and three helicopters were brought in to perform aerial water drops, enabling the department to halt the fire’s spread by 5:30 p.m.
A shelter-in-place order was issued in areas east of the blaze due to the ammonia leak and heavy smoke being generated, according to the LAFD. Residents in the affected area — extending roughly from south of the 101 Freeway to Washington Boulevard, and east of Soto Street to Indiana Street — were warned of “hazardous materials nearby.”
“Get inside IMMEDIATELY and close all windows and doors,” fire officials said in an alert. “Turn off air conditioning/heating. Bring all people and pets to an inside room and close all vents until you receive more instructions.”
LAFD Fire Chief Jaime Moore urged residents to obey the order but said that the ammonia leak was not toxic to individuals unless they had respiratory issues or came into direct contact with the ammonia.
Jane Williams , executive director of California Communities Against Toxics, expressed concerns that officials were underplaying the risk, noting that this is one of the largest cold storage facilities in the state and therefore contains massive amounts of ammonia.
Please make it clear that the fire didn’t start with the panels but apparently burned through them and they were not the source of the toxic smoke.
(Testing… SUBsub)
The problem is the nasty NOx emissions from burning that ammonia, and/or the subsequent formation of ground-level ozone, both of which are bad for lungs.