DTSC investigators serve search warrant at burned Lineage warehouse in Boyle Heights
Cover: Sen. Alex Padilla with fire officials during a July 14, 2026, Boyle Heights warehouse-site oversight visit. Office of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla / official press-photo source. File photo; not the Oct. 6 search.
LOS ANGELES — State criminal investigators served a search warrant Oct. 6 at the burned Lineage cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights, adding a criminal inquiry to the cleanup, air-monitoring and civil disputes that followed the June fire.
Investigators from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s Criminal Investigations Bureau entered the property, according to Boyle Heights Beat reporting published by LAist. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office confirmed it assisted with the warrant and was supporting the investigation.
The criminal investigation is also separate from Lineage’s lawsuit accusing a solar operator and contractor of causing the fire.
Lineage said in a statement that the facility stored food, not hazardous products. It said its ammonia refrigeration system was pumped out shortly after the fire began, before flames reached it, and that the ammonia was removed from the site. The company also said environmental readings had remained within normal neighborhood levels and below ammonia health-based action thresholds.
South Coast Air Quality Management District records show that the agency confirmed removal of bulk food waste from Freezer 1 on Aug. 29. That milestone started a seven-day period for final debris removal, power washing and disinfection by Sept. 5, with negative pressure and pollution-control equipment required during the work.
Removal of bulk waste and completion of all cleanup requirements are different milestones. The agency’s record describes continued inspections and air monitoring to verify compliance. A cleanup deadline alone does not establish that every requirement was met.
Padilla, Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez urged the Environmental Protection Agency to continue air and water monitoring and coordinate with state and local agencies. Their letter raised concerns about runoff containing ash, debris and burned insulation, as well as possible longer-term effects on nearby communities and waterways.
Lineage announced its civil lawsuit Sept. 10, alleging that Altus Power and contractor Pearce Services negligently caused the June 17 fire that destroyed the 500,000-square-foot facility. The company alleged that a defective rooftop solar array was energized before required safety testing was completed.
In its announcement, Lineage cited a smaller 2024 roof fire and alleged that safety concerns remained unresolved before the June blaze. It said it had instructed Altus in writing not to restart the system until testing was complete.
