Yet another commercial fire, this time in East LA/Boyle Heights. Shelter-in-place order for sounding area, instructions include turning off AC/heat, sealing all doors and windows, and moving to an interior room.
Building involved: Google Maps
Showing up on many cameras: ALERTCalifornia - Hollywood 2,
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It looks to be running on the roof in solar panels. These huge commercial fires are crazy.
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Live now..
Solar panels burning like a veg fire is bananas!
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2 LA City Copters are now making water drops along the roof. The building is 500,000 sq ft.
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This one especially so, with neighborhoods directly across the street from the building. Google Maps
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What is that pressurized fog coming out of all those places around the sides of the building? Is that fire suppression system by-product?
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Unknown for now. Initially there was reports of a large Amonia leak.
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Beyond interesting (for this wildlander) to think about those solar panel structures as basically a lofted continuous fuel bed!
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The live news coverage stated there was a similar fire at the same facility a couple years ago involving solar panels.
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Got to hand it to them for thinking outside the box and using helicopters
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The good news is that it appears to be isolated to the exterior of the roof. It does not look like any fire down inside the building.
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Chief Moore just confirmed it - pressurized Ammonia! That was gnarly looking venting!
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From Google AI: Ammonia threatens health primarily through its highly corrosive, alkaline nature, which causes severe irritation and chemical burns to moisture-rich tissues upon contact. Its high toxicity primarily affects the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, and it can be fatal at very high concentrations.
For more information: Ammonia | Public Health Statement | ATSDR
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This is not the first time the LAFD has used helicopters on structure fires. They’ve done it a few years times
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It appears shelter in place orders have been reinstated for this incident due to venting operations that are underway to release the gases from within the building.
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When I was a HazMatier I hated Anhydrous Ammonia leaks. They would happen every couple months but if you forget to vasoline up your crotch and pits before you go in it would make you wish you had poison oak. The burning goes away fairly quickly, in the fresh air…
Fastforward 20 years and now days I wouldn’t go near that stuff without vapor impermeable suit. Oh to be young and nieve.
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Well LAFD decided to open up the cold storage building to get to the smoldering fire, and gave the fire fresh oxygen, so it’s off to the races again. It’s burning hot and fast.
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I wonder what a putrid mess is in there after being half frozen half cooked for 2 days now. And will only get worse by the time they can get in and really start the overhaul.
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Looks like 5 or 6 master streams into the building. Pretty heavy smoke from the building.
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