A Boyle Heights cold storage fire has burned for a seventh straight day, while California regulators investigate the operator and possible causes of the blaze. Officials and community leaders are demanding answers as smoke affects air quality across Los Angele
For the seventh straight day, a cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights has kept burning—pushing smoke into the air and leaving residents to live with the smell, the ash, and the uncertainty.
State regulators have opened an investigation into the incident and the company operating the massive facility. Lineage (formerly known as Lineage Logistics). The scrutiny has quickly widened beyond the fire itself. fueled by a history of regulatory violations and hazardous chemical releases at some Lineage sites. as well as allegations detailed in a civil lawsuit tied to an earlier. deadly blaze.
Lineage is billed as the world’s largest owner of cold storage facilities and raised $4.44 billion in its U.S. initial public offering in 2024, the largest stock market debut of the year. In a statement. the company said the cold food storage industry is heavily regulated and that various agencies conducted more than 200 routine regulatory inspections of its North America operations in 2024 and 2025. It also pointed to an incident rate—measuring the frequency of workplace injuries and illnesses—that it said outperforms the industry average by 14%.
“The health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve is our top priority,” Lineage said.
The company said it believes the fire started when a subcontractor employed by the owner of a rooftop solar array, Altus Power, was performing tests on June 17. Fire officials have also said they suspect the fire started on the roof.
Altus Power said in a statement that the cause of the fire has yet to be determined but that it is cooperating fully with authorities and has reached out to local leaders to offer help. The contractor. Pearce Services. confirmed that four of its employees were on-site the day the fire ignited and said none were injured. The company said it is also cooperating with relevant agencies.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has opened inspections with both Lineage and Pearce related to the fire, the agency confirmed.
As firefighters continued their work to pull apart the structure and reach flames hidden inside. Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis said air quality had shifted during the incident. “Right now in some areas that were unhealthy yesterday. they’re good. or they’re moderate. and in other areas they’re still very unhealthy. ” he said.
City leaders and residents pressed harder for accountability as days of smoke sparked outrage and demands for answers.
Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia said his office is tracking related city costs for dealing with the fire and wrote on X: “we need all companies involved to take accountability and help impacted residents immediately.”
Marissa Roy. a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice who is running for Los Angeles city attorney. said. “This fire has endangered the Boyle Heights community. has endangered many throughout Los Angeles County and beyond. If negligence contributed to this, then we need to make sure that we are holding those companies accountable.”.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. who represents Boyle Heights. said Monday. “Families are still dealing with the smoke. odor. ash. closed parks and community spaces. disrupted routines and serious concerns about what they are breathing. And people are tired, they are anxious, and they deserve answers.”.
The fight on the ground has been relentless, with officials hoping to have the Boyle Heights fire out within the next day or two. Additional crews arrived from across the region to assist with the fire battle, and smoke appears to have dissipated somewhat.
That timeline has taken on additional weight because this is not the first massive fire tied to Lineage.
A blaze in April 2024 at a 525. 000-square-foot cold storage facility in Finley. Wash. burned for eight weeks before it was extinguished. Flames were stoked by combustible items that included forklifts containing lithium-ion batteries and greasy frozen french fries. said Will Sykes. a Nevada-based attorney representing more than a dozen residents in a lawsuit stemming from that fire.
Sykes said the warehouse’s tall racking systems held pallets stacked almost to the ceiling. helping flames spread quickly and making it difficult for water from the sprinkler system to reach lower areas. A lawsuit filed by plaintiffs alleges the building’s sealed construction and ammonia-based refrigeration system trapped heat and smoke and dehumidified the air. increasing combustibility. The lawsuit also alleges the fire suppression system was inadequate and ran out of water as firefighters fought the blaze.
More than two years later. residents of the surrounding community have reported ongoing problems with their lungs. sinuses and respiratory systems and some have passed away. while livestock and pets have also become ill and died. Sykes said. “At the end of the day. ultimately we want accountability for those who are responsible for this horrific fire. ” he said.
The lawsuit alleges Lineage has a history of incidents that should have prompted stronger safety protocols. It cites an ammonia release at a warehouse in Forest Grove. Ore. in 2022 that required a hazmat response. and a 2020 case in Statesville. N.C. where a contractor was killed after an ammonia release inside a warehouse.
The complaint also says that in 2023 the Environmental Protection Agency fined Lineage more than $170. 000 for alleged Clean Air Act violations at its Altoona. Iowa. facility. finding that it failed to comply with regulations intended to protect the surrounding community from accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia. It further states the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Lineage $58. 000 after a report of ammonia release at a facility in McAllen. Texas. in 2015. and cited the company for nine serious violations.
Lineage disputes that portrayal. A spokesperson said in a statement that the company can’t comment on the specifics of ongoing litigation but vigorously disputes the lawsuit’s characterization of its safety record.
In the Boyle Heights case, Lineage has received citations connected to the burning facility. In 2020, Cal/OSHA issued citations for 12 violations, four of them serious. The agency alleged Lineage failed to create or maintain an effective emergency action plan or provide adequate training to employees expected to participate in emergency response. It also alleged the company failed to carry out periodic inspections to identify unsafe conditions and work practices and failed to provide proper training and personal protective equipment to some employees and contractors. Agency records state that all but three of the violations were deleted after the company contested them and an administrative judge ruled on the matter.
Last year. the EPA entered into a settlement agreement with Lineage related to alleged Clean Air Act violations at its facilities in Vernon. That inspection found ammonia piping with ice accumulation and damaged insulation and alleged the company failed to correct a critical safety system deficiency identified during a 2021 audit. Under the agreement, Lineage agreed to pay a civil penalty of $3,420.
As the Boyle Heights fire continues, officials say additional air monitoring is part of the response: local officials installed air monitors in some areas near the plant to get regular readings of air quality, according to the Apple Valley News.
The coming day or two may bring relief if the flames go fully out. But the pressure for clarity is already locked in. For the residents living close to industry and manufacturing districts—homes sandwiched near the warehouse—the question now is not only what sparked the fire. but what safeguards were in place before it turned into a weeklong emergency.
Boyle Heights fire Lineage Logistics Cal/OSHA investigation Altus Power Pearce Services air quality ammonia violations Cold storage warehouse Los Angeles City Council Kenneth Mejia