The operator of a solar array atop the Lineage cold storage facility in Boyle Heights “negligently and recklessly” caused the fire that destroyed the building by reenergizing the array without proper precautions, according to a new lawsuit.
The suit, filed Thursday, Sept. 10, alleges the entities responsible for the array — Altus Power, Pearce Services and Los Palos Street Operating LLC — identified more than 200 “connector failures” roughly a month before the blaze began June 17. Eight of those failures were in the same area where the fire started, according to Lineage.
“Damages to Lineage are still accruing, but will easily exceed $1 billion,” wrote Brad Brian, the attorney for Lineage, in the lawsuit.
Lineage alleges Pearce, hired by Altus to maintain and repair the solar array, used “thousands of ‘jumper’ connections to connect devices whose cables were otherwise incompatible” and created “thousands of potential failure points.”
In a statement, Los Palos Street Operating LLC denied the allegations and called Lineage’s efforts a “blatant attempt to deflect blame for their role in this matter, including any damage caused by the release of substances from the warehouse, not the solar panel.”
“We take safety extremely seriously and our strong safety record reflects our rigorous protocols and response procedures, in contrast to Lineage, whose track record is well documented,” a spokesperson wrote. “As tenant-operator that controlled the facility, Lineage is legally responsible for overseeing the site remediation, including cleanup, debris removal and remediation resources. We will contest the claims in court.”
Another cold storage facility operated by Lineage burned for months in Washington state in 2024.
The more recent, eight-day fire in Boyle Heights destroyed a nearly 500,000-square-foot facility and the 88 million pounds of frozen food inside. It sent plumes of smoke and the stench of rotting food into surrounding neighborhoods. Foul odors, flies and vermin have plagued residents since then.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued 19 notices of violations against Lineage in July in response to thousands of odor complaints. After months of fighting about cleanup deadlines, the AQMD confirmed the company had cleared away food and debris and disinfected the interior of the building.
A Los Angeles City Council committee voted to bar Lineage from rebuilding in August. That same month, Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement saying the company did not “deserve to rebuild” and called for the city’s attorneys to pursue “litigation, a lien, and all legal options for cost recovery and penalties.”
The backlash over the fire damaged Lineage’s reputation and resulted in multiple class-action lawsuits against the company, the lawsuit states. Lineage has incurred “hundreds of millions of dollars” in cleanup expenses.
“Altus and Pearce have refused to take any responsibility for starting the fire, even though it clearly started on Altus’s solar array while Pearce employees were there working on the array at Altus’ direction,” Brian wrote.
Lineage leased the rooftop to Los Palos, a subsidiary of Altus, to operate the solar array, which can generate about 6 megawatts of power, or the equivalent of the power used by about 6,000 homes.
The lease agreement between the companies allegedly includes an “obligation to indemnify Lineage for any damage caused by the solar array,” according to the lawsuit.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Jamie Moore previously said a crew working on June 17 was trying to get the high-voltage panels back online after they were shut down in an earlier fire in August 2024. Two small fires started during the repair work, but the workers believed they had put out both, Moore said. They eventually called 911 when a third ignited.
Post-fire inspections allegedly revealed damaged wiring and loose connections that created fire risks, the lawsuit states.
Lineage alleges it demanded that Altus implement enhanced fire safety measures before reenergizing the array after the August 2024 fire, but that the company failed to do so.
In that fire, the Fire Department responded at 9 a.m. Aug. 14, 2024, to thick smoke billowing from the building and found flames burning among a cluster of panels near the center of the roof.
The size of the building and the split-level roof made the ladder pipes on the department’s aerial ladder trucks ineffective. Firefighters had to climb onto the roof and use extension ladders and hand lines to battle the fire, according to a press release at the time.
More than 80 firefighters, with assistance from Los Angeles County, took part in the suppression efforts and the fire was knocked out in 48 minutes.
The lawsuit alleges the August 2024 fire damaged the solar array and “compromised a portion of the facility’s building structure.” Lineage alleges it directed Altus to shut off the solar array in June 2025 due to concerns that certain parts could pose a safety hazard and not to reactivate it until those issues were addressed.
The massive warehouse was built in 2018 and Lineage has leased to the rooftop to Los Palos since 2020, according to the lawsuit. It was one of the largest rooftop solar installations in the state.