Lineage Logistics, operator of the massive Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for more than a week, sued the owner of the solar array on the building’s roof Thursday, alleging one of its contractors sparked the conflagration.
Lineage contends in its Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that Altus Power Inc and its contractor Pearce Services were responsible for starting the June 17 fire, which led to a nearly two-month cleanup operation during which noxious odors, rodents and insects plagued nearby communities, prompting multiple fines assessed against Lineage.
Altus officials could not be reached for immediate comment regarding the lawsuit.
“This lawsuit is about Altus and Pearce starting this fire and then being nowhere to be found when the community needed help,” Greg Lehmkuhl, president/CEO of Lineage, said in a statement announcing the legal action. “From the moment it started, Lineage stood alone in supporting remediation and cleanup efforts for a neighborhood impacted through absolutely no fault of our own.
“The record is clear: this was a solar fire. Cold storage is not a risk to communities — it is an essential service that lowers food costs, expands food access and creates jobs,” he said. “We are grateful to each and every worker who contributed over 210,000 hours to complete this unprecedented and complex cleanup in record time. We want to thank the community of Boyle Heights and East LA for their patience during this process. With the cleanup completed, now is the right time to pursue accountability and recover the substantial losses we incurred as a result of Altus’ and Pearce’s negligence.”
Lineage announced over the weekend that it had completed the removal and cleanup of more than 89 million pounds of food waste at the burned-out cold storage warehouse at 1400 S. Los Palos St. Company officials estimated that remediation and cleanup effort cost roughly $100 million.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District confirmed Saturday that Lineage had cleared away all of the food and debris, and power-washed and disinfected the interior of the 491,000-square-foot site.
Lineage officials contended soon after the fire erupted that it was sparked on the roof of the building by a contractor working on the solar panels owned by Altus. An official cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Altus officials issued a statement soon after the fire started stressing that no cause had been determined.
“Our first concern is for the residents of Boyle Heights, everyone affected by this fire, and for the firefighters working to contain it,” the company said in its June statement. “The cause of the fire where our rooftop solar array is located at the Los Palos Street facility has yet to be determined. We are cooperating fully with the authorities as they investigate.”
Initial video from the fire showed the blaze burning on the roof of the building, with the flames ultimately engulfing and destroying much of the massive structure, leaving the frozen goods inside to rot.
More than 85 million pounds of food were stored inside, and food that began rotting following the blaze caused persistent foul odors in surrounding neighborhoods and attracted rats.
As the cleanup operation dragged on, Lineage came under fire from residents and elected officials accusing the company of failing to meet deadlines for completion of the work, and failing to provide adequate support for residents.
Lineage officials have insisted the work was carried out in the most expeditious way possible, and said the company was committed to supporting residents.