Boyle Heights warehouse fire had "undetermined cause," Los Angeles Fire Department investigation finds
The Los Angeles City Fire Department's arson investigation into the Boyle Heights, Lineage warehouse fire has concluded, with the cause classified as undetermined.
In a Tuesday news release, LAFD said investigators conducted a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the June 17 fire at the cold storage facility. The origin of the weeklong fire was confirmed to be on the roof, at or adjacent to a section of solar panels.
"Based on the evidence examined, investigators determined that an electrical event occurred within the area of origin. However, since the specific cause of that electrical event could not be conclusively established, the incident remains classified as having an undetermined cause," LAFD said.
Lineage, the operator of the warehouse, has long claimed that the fire started on the roof while contractors were working on solar panels. Lineage has filed a lawsuit against Altus Power, the solar panel company, and Pearce Services, the technical infrastructure contractor.
"This lawsuit is about Altus and Pearce starting this fire and then being nowhere to be found when the community needed help," said Greg Lehmkuhl, president and CEO of Lineage, in an earlier statement. "The record is clear: this was a solar fire … "
Los Palos Street Operating, a subsidiary of Altus Power, said Lineage's statement was "riddled with misinformation" and described it as "a blatant attempt to deflect blame for their role in this matter."
Meanwhile, Lineage has sought rebuilding permits from the city of Los Angeles, but the city council recently voted to bar the Department of Building and Safety from issuing any reconstruction permits until LAFD finishes its official investigation. It's unclear where the city will stand with LAFD's just-released report.
Linage completed a full cleanup of the warehouse, including the removal of 89 million pounds of spoiled food and the demolition of the fire-damaged structure, on September 5.
