Officers from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control conducted an investigation at the Lineage warehouse in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. This site had a significant fire last June, which took about a week to control.
Investigators were observed examining the warehouse offices, part of a criminal investigation. They did not specify what they were searching for. Members of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office were also present at the facility’s entrance. Two dark sedans blocked the entry to the building, adding to the security presence.
Lineage Cold Storage Solutions has not commented on the ongoing investigation. The fire at their facility created numerous challenges, such as roof solar panels preventing access, tall stacks of frozen goods posing safety risks, and an unexpected ammonia gas leak. The gas leak prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby areas. Once the fire was under control, efforts shifted to removing 89 million pounds of stored meat and food. These efforts took over six weeks, leading to increased rodent and insect activity, as well as illness complaints from nearby residents.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has not identified the fire’s cause, but they could not exclude the possibility of the solar panels being a factor. Martín Ramírez, a local business owner, noted everything seemed normal in the warehouse but quickly changed as workers vacated the site amid the investigation.