Company at center of Boyle Heights fire faces scrutiny over its record, earlier blaze
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With a fire burning at a Boyle Heights cold storage warehouse for a seventh straight day, scrutiny is growing over the operator of the massive facility and what sparked the blaze that has spewed bad air across the region.State regulators have launched an investigation into the incident and some local officials have called it a wake-up call for communities like Boyle Heights, where homes are sandwiched close to industry and manufacturing districts.Lineage, previously known as Lineage Logistics, the company operating the facility, 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.
It has also been cited for regulatory violations and hazardous chemical releases at some of its facilities, according to enforcement records and a civil lawsuit, though the company said it has a strong safety record.Lineage said in a statement that the cold food storage industry is heavily regulated and various agencies conducted more than 200 routine regulatory inspections of its North America operations in 2024 and 2025 alone.Its total incident rate — a metric that measures the frequency of workplace injuries and illnesses — outperforms the industry average by 14%, the company said.
“The health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve is our top priority,” it said.The company said it believes the fire was started when a subcontractor employed by the owner of the 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 we...