Months after the massive Lineage warehouse fire devastated Boyle Heights, investigators have returned to the site, this time as part of a criminal investigation.
Investigators with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control visited the burned warehouse Tuesday and searched the facility’s offices, authorities said. The agency’s Office of Criminal Investigations is leading the probe.
Officers were seen moving through the warehouse offices before noon. One investigator told a Los Angeles Times reporter that they were there as part of a criminal investigation but declined to say what they were looking for.
Three people from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office were also seen at the entrance to the facility, while two dark sedans blocked access to the office area.
The investigation comes less than three weeks after the Los Angeles Fire Department closed its own investigation into the June 17 fire without determining exactly what caused it.
LAFD concluded that the blaze began on the warehouse roof, at or near a section of solar panels, where investigators found evidence of an electrical event. But the department could not determine what caused that event.
That left some of the most important questions surrounding the disaster unanswered.
The fire burned for more than a week inside the massive cold storage facility, forcing residents in Boyle Heights and surrounding communities to shelter in place and raising concerns about smoke, air quality and the potential release of ammonia used in the warehouse’s refrigeration system.
The aftermath continued long after the flames were extinguished. Millions of pounds of food spoiled inside the warehouse, creating an extended odor and pest problem for surrounding neighborhoods.
For residents, the arrival of criminal investigators represents a new development in a disaster that has already generated demands for greater accountability.
The investigation also comes as questions remain about the facility’s history, its safety record and the circumstances surrounding the fire.
Lineage has maintained that it was not responsible for the fire and has pointed to the solar system on the warehouse roof. The company has filed a lawsuit accusing the solar company and its contractor of causing the blaze. Those allegations are disputed.
The criminal investigation could now examine questions that the fire investigation could not resolve.
What happened inside the warehouse before the fire? Were environmental or hazardous material regulations violated? Did anyone fail to follow required safety procedures? And could the disaster have been prevented?
Authorities have not disclosed what specific conduct is being investigated or whether any individuals or companies are the targets of the criminal probe.
For Boyle Heights residents who spent weeks dealing with smoke, health concerns, rotting food and unanswered questions, the investigation offers something they have been demanding since the fire began: answers.
