Investigators from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control conducted a search of the Lineage warehouse in Boyle Heights on Tuesday as part of a criminal probe, according to authorities. The facility was the site of a significant fire earlier this year.
Officials were observed entering the warehouse offices before midday. A representative indicated the presence was related to a criminal investigation, though specific details regarding the nature of the inquiry or items sought were not disclosed.
Simultaneously, personnel from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office were present at the entrance to the facility's administrative offices, with two dark sedans positioned to restrict access. Representatives from Lineage did not immediately provide a comment.
The Lineage cold-storage warehouse experienced a large fire beginning June 17, which required approximately one week to extinguish. The firefighting efforts were complicated by factors including rooftop solar panels that initially could not be de-energized, posing a hazard to firefighters, and 50-foot-high stacks of frozen goods inside the building that created safety risks and impeded entry. An unexpected ammonia gas leak also necessitated a brief shelter-in-place order for nearby structures.
Following the fire's suppression, Lineage was mandated to expeditiously remove the 89 million pounds of food and meat stored within to prevent spoilage amid the summer heat. This removal process spanned over six weeks, during which local residents reported an increase in rodent and insect activity, as well as health concerns.
The definitive cause of the fire remains undetermined. However, investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department have not ruled out the rooftop solar panels as a potential contributing factor. Martín Ramírez, owner of an adjacent car shop, reported observing normal operations at the warehouse on Tuesday morning before noticing the building's subsequent emptiness.
