A small fire inside a Sylmar warehouse on Thursday afternoon briefly turned an industrial block into a hazmat scene, prompting an evacuation and a swarm of fire crews before the all-clear was given. The blaze was doused with dry-chemical extinguishers, no one was hurt, and hazardous-material teams stuck around to double-check the air and surroundings for any lingering trouble. Operations in the busy stretch just north of Foothill Boulevard were disrupted only briefly.
According to LAFD, the incident was logged as Hazmat Inc#1042 at about 1:21 p.m. Crews reported the fire was burning inside a warehouse at 12745 W Arroyo St and evacuated the building "out of an abundance of caution." The alert also notes that no patients were found and that a possible hazard outside the immediate area was checked and ultimately ruled out.
Site and Ownership
City environmental records identify 12745 W Arroyo St as a parcel tied to a major package-handling operation. The California Integrated Water Quality System lists a facility at that address under the name "UPS San Fernando." That public listing confirms the site is commercial warehouse space and helps explain why hazmat crews took no chances with Thursday's call.
Response and Investigation
LAFD's alert describes a multi-company response, with engine, rescue and hazmat units rolling in. Among the responders were E221, E275, E287, E298, E87, E98, HM87 and FS98. Firefighters say they knocked down the flames using dry chemical, then relied on on-scene air monitoring to confirm there was no ongoing release. Investigators remained on site to determine what sparked the fire. The department added that the potential hazard outside the immediate area was fully negated and that regular operations were allowed to resume, per LAFD.
Local Context
Hazmat calls are a familiar sight along the Valley's industrial corridors. Last October, a truck rollover on the 210 spilled pool chemicals and triggered a similar specialized response, according to a report on a truck pool-chemical spill on the 210 in Sylmar. Larger warehouse fires elsewhere in Los Angeles have shown how smoke and off-gassing can quickly turn into broader air-quality and public-health problems, as coverage of a multiday Boyle Heights warehouse blaze has underscored. Public-health and emergency-management reporting points out that fast hazmat deployment and real-time air monitoring are crucial for limiting exposure after industrial fires, per The Spokesman-Review.
