Operations & Training

Massive Blaze Rips Through Los Angeles County Building

Dec. 9, 2024

The roof of the Amazon return warehouse in South El Monte collapsed, forcing firefighters into defensive mode.

A large warehouse fire that erupted early Sunday morning in South El Monte took firefighters hours to get under control.

Raging flames lit up the pre-dawn sky before firefighters were notified.

“There are a lot of lithium-ion batteries and small electronics, so they had a pretty big firefight,” Los Angeles Fire Capt. Sheila Kelliher Berkoh told KTLA.

The cause is under investigation.

About the Author

Susan Nicol | News Editor

Susan Nicol is the news editor for Firehouse.com. She is a life member and active with the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance & Rescue Company, Oxford Fire Company and Brunswick Vol. Fire Co. Susie has been an EMT in Maryland since 1976. Susie is vice-president of the Frederick County Fire/Rescue Museum. She is on the executive committee of Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. She also is part of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) Region II EMS Council. Susie is a board member of the American Trauma Society, Maryland Division. Prior to joining the Firehouse team, she was a staff writer for The Frederick News-Post, covering fire, law enforcement, court and legislative issues.