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Boyle Heights fire update, how to handle conflicts with your neighbors, Smorgasburg LA and more
A fire at a Boyle Heights commercial building sent massive plumes of black smoke up on Wednesday and prompted a shelter-in-place order.
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Alejandra Molina
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Boyle Heights Beat
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Today's show: Austin Cross, filling in for AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses the latest with yesterday's Boyle Heights fire, how to handle conflict with neighbors, L.A. city council weighs ballot measures, Smorgasburg LA, and TV Talk. Cross is LAist's local Morning Edition host and also hosts Friday AirTalk.
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The latest on yesterday’s warehouse fire in Boyle Heights
The topic:
A fire at a Boyle Heights commercial building sent up a massive plume of black smoke on Wednesday and prompted a shelter-in-place order due to hazardous materials, including ammonia. Today on AirTalk, we look at lingering air quality concerns and next steps.
What happened: The fire broke out around 2:35 p.m. at a cold storage facility measuring 1,000 by 500 feet at 1400 S. Los Palos St. with solar panels on the roof, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire reached an ammonia line, officials said, prompting firefighters to pull back as it started off-gassing and order people nearby to shelter in place.
The latest: By the evening, crews had the fire under control, extinguishing the rooftop flames and lifting shelter-in-place orders. However, an air quality advisory is still in place until at least 10 a.m. Thursday.
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Join the conversation: Do you live in the area? What has your experience been? Call (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
With files from LAist
Guests:
- Alejandra Molina, senior reporter for Boyle Heights Beat
- Yifang Zhu, professor of environmental health sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health
How to handle conflicts with your neighbors
Has there been a time when you and your neighbor disagreed about how to handle a situation?
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The topic:
While it would be great to always get along with your neighbors and live in nothing but harmony — it’s not the reality for some. Today on AirTalk, we’re looking at how to handle conflicts with your neighbors in a productive way.
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Why it matters: You may not like everything about them, but you have to live near them. Learning how to get along and handle differences in a civil manner can go a long way.
Join the conversation: Has there been a time when you and your neighbor disagreed about how to handle a situation? Maybe they kept leaving their bins out well after trash day, or maybe they walk their dog off-leash, or maybe THEY had a problem with YOU — how unimaginable. Tell us about it, and how you handled it by calling (866) 893-5722 or emailing us at atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Chris Welch, executive director of the Center for Conflict Resolution, which provides mediation and conflict resolution services to Los Angeles County
What the LA city council is deciding to add to the November ballot
Los Angeles City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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The topic:
Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council finalized whether it’d move forward with any reforms on this November’s ballot, three of which are in consideration. Following this initial vote, the city attorney’s office will now draft language ahead of a final decision.
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What’s likely to make it to November’s ballot? Voters will get to decide whether the city council can have more authority in LAPD policy, reforming Measure ULA, and non-citizen voting.
What requires further study? Expanding the council from 15 to 25 representatives and instituting a ranked-choice voting system in city elections.
Guests:
- Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Los Angeles City Council president and council member for its 8th district, which includes South LA communities like Hyde Park, West Adams, and Baldwin Hills
- Frank Stoltze, civics and democracy correspondent for LAist
- David Wagner, LAist housing correspondent
Smorgasburg LA celebrates 10 years this weekend
The topic:
Smorgasburg LA, a hotbed for many up-and-coming local vendors, celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend. Operating out of ROW DTLA every Sunday, it’s had a variety of foods over the years, ranging from coffee, pizza, shawarma, jerk chicken, and just about any dessert you can imagine. We’ll discuss its significance ahead of the event’s 10-year celebration and Father’s Day weekend.
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The OG lineup: Smorgasburg LA’s inaugural list of vendors included such as Sticky Rice, Carnitas Y Birria El Momo, Donut Friend and Mama Musubi.
Join the conversation: Are you someone who’s been a vendor at Smorgasburg L.A.? Someone who’s frequented the event? What’s the best thing you’ve tried there? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guest:
- Zach Brooks, general manager for Smorgasburg LA
TV Talk: ‘House of the Dragon,’ ‘Sugar,’ ‘The Agency,’ and more!
What should you watch over the long weekend?
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The topic:
Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. This week, listeners will get the latest scoop on what’s worth watching.
Short description:
- House of the Dragon [Season 3] (HBO Max)
- Sugar [Season 2] (Apple TV)
- The Agency [Season 2] (Paramount+)
- The Listeners [Limited-Series] (Starz)
- The Season [Limited Series] (Hulu)
- I Will Find You [Limited Series] (Netflix)
Guests:
- Liz Shannon-Miller, senior entertainment editor at Consequence
- Roxana Hadadi, TV critic for Vulture
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Today on AirTalk: Changes to the Grammys, audio erotica, how incarceration shaped American music, charter schools, gifts for dad, and lessons from past relationships. -
Today on AirTalk: L.A. city charter reform, SpaceX IPO, when you became an Angeleno, AI use in state government, public restrooms, and the annoyances of modern tech. -
Today on AirTalk: Iran in the World Cup LAHSA funding suspended, relationships after kids, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, LA Metro and sweet fruit.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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