Board of Supervisors Ratifies Local Emergency Proclamation for Boyle Heights Fire

The fire at 1400 S. Los Palos St. damaged refrigeration systems and triggered the release of ammonia, prompting shelter-in-place orders and air quality warnings for the nearby communities of Boyle Heights and unincorporated East Los Angeles. Smoke advisories were issued across portions of Los Angeles County, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District later expanded an air quality advisory countywide.

The emergency proclamation, first issued by Board Chair Hilda L. Solis on June 20 and followed by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency, is intended to expedite access to state and federal resources, support ongoing response and recovery efforts, and help secure disaster assistance for affected communities.

“I declared a local emergency because the scale of this fire demands an all-hands-on-deck response and every available resource to protect residents, workers and first responders,” said Board Chair Solis. “I am grateful to Gov. Gavin Newsom for swiftly issuing a state emergency declaration, which will help strengthen ongoing response and recovery efforts. As firefighters continue working tirelessly to contain this fire, Los Angeles County is fully committed to supporting impacted residents, businesses and workers, protecting public health and delivering the resources communities need to recover. We will ensure those responsible for harming our communities are held fully accountable.”

The Board also approved a motion authored by Board Chair Solis and co-authored by Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn directing County agencies to continue health monitoring, environmental assessments and community assistance efforts while partnering with city and state agencies to investigate the incident and evaluate potential enforcement actions and avenues for compensation for affected residents and businesses.

The motion directs County departments to support impacted workers and businesses through outreach, resource referrals, job fairs and the development of a claims process. It also requires ongoing reporting on environmental conditions, recovery efforts and investigative findings.

At Board Chair Solis’ direction, Los Angeles County launched a coordinated emergency response that included a 24-hour smoke respite shelter at City Terrace Park in partnership with the American Red Cross. The site has provided residents affected by the fire and poor air quality with access to health and mental health services, food, water and other essential resources.

Since the incident began, Solis’ office has conducted extensive community outreach, delivering emergency supplies directly to East Los Angeles residents and hosting resource events that connect families, workers and small businesses with County services and assistance programs.

To date, her office has provided more than 2,300 air purifiers to East Los Angeles residents, including seniors and individuals with underlying health conditions, along with 10,000 N95 masks and 1,500 food boxes to households in communities most affected by smoke and poor air quality.

The local emergency declaration will remain in effect until terminated by the Board of Supervisors. County officials said response and recovery efforts will continue in the coming weeks as agencies monitor environmental conditions, assess community impacts and work to ensure residents receive the support needed to recover safely.