Low-flying military helicopters roaring over the mostly shuttered Puente Hills Mall on Thursday night sent City of Industry residents spilling into the parking lots, phones out and recording. Bright flashes and loud booms, which witnesses described as looking and sounding like controlled explosions, lit up social media as clips raced through neighborhood feeds. By the time the dust settled, city and county officials confirmed it was all part of a U.S. military training exercise.
Officials Call It a Training Operation
Military helicopters were filmed sweeping low over the City of Industry on Thursday night during a coordinated drill that included exercises at Puente Hills Mall, according to NBC Los Angeles. Officials described the flights and explosions as part of a planned training operation. Military authorities did not immediately release additional details about the scope or purpose of the exercise.
Long Beach Warned Residents, Police Assisted
Across the region, at least some neighbors were told to brace for the noise. The Los Angeles Times reports that Long Beach officials alerted the public that they could hear helicopter activity, controlled explosions, and simulated weapons fire, and that Long Beach Police Department personnel would be out to help manage pedestrian and vehicle safety.
According to the Times, the city also stressed that it did not control the exercise itself, had no jurisdiction over its operational details, and warned that the training could continue into the early hours of Friday.
In a post on X, the City of Long Beach told residents, “During this time, you may see and hear helicopter activity, controlled explosions and simulated weapons fire,” and clarified that the drills were being run by the U.S. military rather than any city agency. City of Long Beach.
Neighbors Were Startled Across the Valley
The Puente Hills spectacle was not a one-off. Earlier in the week, similar nighttime drills in Pasadena and Irvine jolted residents awake, with many reporting they heard what sounded like gunfire and explosions, and some calling 911, ABC7 reported. Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole told the outlet he considered the timing “outrageous,” while neighbors said the secrecy and late-night noise were unnerving.
Why the Mall?
Puente Hills Mall, largely vacant and long the subject of redevelopment talk, has drawn interest for projects ranging from data centers to battery-storage facilities. Those redevelopment proposals, along with the mall’s relative isolation from dense residential blocks, make it a practical backdrop for large-scale urban training, investigators say. Recent internal City of Industry discussions and developer interest in the site were documented by Investigate LA.
Local outlets reported that officials declined to release many specifics about the drills, citing safety concerns. They emphasized that there were no reported public-safety incidents tied to the exercise and that the event was not open to the public or the media, urging residents to rely on official city channels for any future updates, according to Long Beach Local News.
