Los Angeles, hosting a series of World Cup group games, was under a state of emergency as fire crews fought a four day long battle against a warehouse blaze that has suffocated the city with black fumes that have caused severe discomfort.
“This is a major, multi-jurisdictional incident,” Karen Bass, mayor of the second-largest US city, said in a statement.
The declaration will “ensure the city has the resources it needs.”
The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in a 500,000-square-foot (46,400-square-meter) frozen food warehouse, where burning foam insulation, suspected ammonia leakage and melting solar panels have complicated the firefight, officials noted.
“The smell of smoke has reached most of the city, and we encourage everyone to limit exposure as much as possible,” the Los Angeles Fire Department warned in a Facebook post.
The fire has been contained to the warehouse but continues to burn, spewing fumes that smell of burning plastic.
Early on, residents of the area surrounding the warehouse in Boyle Heights, a diverse neighborhood in east Los Angeles, were warned to shelter in place, close windows and avoid breathing the air.
Authorities opened 24-hour relief centers for people unable to otherwise escape the smoke.
But fire officials have since lifted those orders, saying the smoke is not toxic or different from a normal structure fire.
Air quality officials have issued warnings for people in affected areas to avoid outdoor activity.
AFP-REUTERS