LAFD finds zero cause for Lineage blaze despite 12K panels; blame game heats up over solar panels
Investigation concludes electrical event was unknown; City Hall demands answers.
The Los Angeles Fire Department released the findings Tuesday on the massive cold storage warehouse fire that choked Boyle Heights. The short version is that the investigation found a cause. The long version is that the cause of the massive fire remains a total mystery. The LAFD concluded an electrical event of unknown origin started the blaze.
The report confirms the fire originated on the roof of the Lineage facility. Fire investigators pinpointed the ignition point to Grid 2, a section of the roof covered by the facility's massive solar array. The array consists of 12,400 panels. The report states the fire started at or adjacent to these panels. The underlying cause of the electrical event is officially undetermined.
For Lineage, the report is validation of what they have been saying since the fire started on June 17. The company argues the fire is a "solar fire." They pointed to the specific finding in the report that lists "Solar panels and their connected components" as the one thing the LAFD could not rule out. A company spokesperson said this finding backs their assertions.
Altus Power, the company that operates the solar panels, disagrees with Lineage’s narrative. A spokesperson for Altus’s subsidiary Los Palos Street Operating said Lineage is spreading misinformation. They noted the LAFD report clearly states the cause of the incident is "undetermined." The fight over who is telling the truth highlights the frustration in the community.
Lineage filed a lawsuit against Altus Power and subcontractor Pearce Services on Sept. 10. The complaint alleges the Altus team was negligent during the reenergization of the solar array. The lawsuit claims Altus approved rapid shutdown devices with incompatible connectors. It also alleges Pearce used jumpers between these connectors to make the system work.
Using thousands of jumpers across the roof increases fire risk. Each connection creates a potential ignition point if installed incorrectly. The lawsuit further claims Pearce used three different brands of connectors in one spot. This mix creates a high risk of incompatibility. The plaintiffs say this sloppy workmanship and insufficient oversight directly contributed to the emergency.
The timeline of the lawsuit details gets messy. Lineage claims Altus and Pearce ignored requests to stop reenergizing the panels. The company says they reenergized the array between June 5 and June 17 despite identifying more than 200 connector failures the month before. This period of testing and commissioning seems to be where the disaster began.
Firefighters struggled to contain the flames after they entered the building. Teams had to tear down walls to blast water cannons into the interior. The fire burned for weeks. The cleanup was just as brutal. Crews had to remove 89 million pounds of thawing and rotting meat. The smell drove swarms of flies and rats into the neighborhood.
The health impact on the neighborhood was immediate. Residents endured months of health concerns and disruption. The smoke and rotten air were constant companions for weeks. An earlier version of the report mentioned a worker named Pearce. The LAFD report describes interviews with Lineage employees who saw one solar panel melted and another on fire in the early moments of the blaze.
One worker told investigators Pearce had been working on the panels. The worker used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the flames. An executive from Pearce Services called investigators on behalf of the technician instead of answering questions directly. This lack of communication from the contractor is another sticking point in the investigation.
This is not the first time the Lineage roof has been in the news. An LAFD incident report lists the cause of a fire in 2024 as "failure of equipment or heat source." Around that time, Lineage representatives asked City Hall about removing an emergency shutdown switch from the solar panels. The company wanted safer alternatives to the rapid shutdown devices. These devices protect firefighters from shock but have been linked to increased fire risk. Lineage did not receive any variances or exemptions for these requests.
City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado represents the area. She released a statement calling the conclusion unsatisfactory. She said determining the cause matters for accountability. She noted that LAFD’s finding of an undetermined cause does nothing to alleviate the suffering of residents.
Mayor Karen Bass also weighed in. She said she will continue to push to keep Lineage from rebuilding at the site. Her statement emphasized the need to prevent emergencies like this in the future. The political pressure is mounting on the company that operates the site.
The investigation did not provide the closure the community hoped for. The cause remains a mystery wrapped in a bureaucratic report. The community is left with months of health concerns and unanswered questions about the future of the site. The blame game between Lineage and Altus Power continues to cloud the facts.
First reported by LA Times: California.
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