LOS ANGELES—A fire at a massive warehouse blackened the skies near downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, prompting shelter-in-place orders in the area due to the risk of hazardous air.
Los Angeles firefighters responded around 2:30 p.m. to the blaze, which was sending large plumes of dark smoke into the air in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Local news stations showed smoke billowing from the burning roof of the warehouse, which was covered in solar panels.
Officials issued an alert to the area shortly after, warning of “hazardous materials nearby.” Residents were told to close all windows, doors and vents, turn off air conditioning and bring people and pets to an inside room….