Fires that burned 2 Amazon cargo containers in Boyle Heights are tied to theft, arson, LAFD says

BOYLE HEIGHTS, LOS ANGELES -- Two separate fires that engulfed Amazon cargo containers on trains in Boyle Heights are believed to be connected to theft and arson, officials said.

The second blaze was reported about 5:45 a.m. Tuesday at 578 N. Mission Road, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. That is the location of a Union Pacific rail yard.

Crews found a double-stack railroad car with fire in the top container, a department spokesperson said.

The LAFD coordinated with railroad personnel and the Los Angeles Police Department as a crane was called in "to move the container down to ground level and facilitate full extinguishment," said public information officer Lyndsey Lantz.

An Amazon container aboard a freight car caught fire near the same location on April 9, according to the LAFD.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

"The Fire Department, in partnership with the Union Pacific Police Department, is investigating a series of fires believed to be linked to ongoing theft activity," an LAFD spokesperson said in a statement provided to ABC7. "These incidents pose a serious risk to public safety, and the investigation is ongoing."

City News Service contributed to this report.