Cause of Boyle Heights warehouse fire believed to be testing conducted by solar contractors: Lineage

A fire at a Lineage facility in Washington state burned for 60 days in 2024, offering a glimpse of the obstacles firefighters are facing at another Lineage-operated facility in Boyle Heights.

Lineage describes itself as the "largest dynamic temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics company." The company may play a significant role in the food supply chain, but its facilities have previously drawn attention because of a major fire.

A fire at a Lineage facility in Washington state burned for 60 days in 2024, offering a glimpse of the obstacles firefighters are facing in Boyle Heights.

In April 2024, a fire broke out at a Lineage facility in Finley, Washington, a small community south of the Tri-Cities. The blaze started in a freezer and quickly produced heavy smoke.

"It was like somebody just took a big black blanket and spread it out over the whole community," said Scott Matthews, a Kennewick resident who said he lived about two miles from the facility.

"It was black, heavy," Matthews said.

The Benton County District 1 Fire Department told Eyewitness News the fire was extremely difficult to fight. Sprinklers went off, creating a mist in the building that made it hard for firefighters to locate the source of the blaze.

At one point, firefighters were unable to enter the facility and had to remain outside near the structure, which a department spokesperson described as the size of five Costcos.

There were no nearby hydrants, requiring crews to truck in water or siphon it from irrigation lines throughout the two-month firefighting effort.

"I feel what the people in L.A. are going through. I truly do because all of us here can relate because we went through it," Matthews said.

Firefighters in Benton County said they were never able to determine the cause of the fire.

Some Finley homeowners who say their health and homes were affected by the blaze have filed a lawsuit against Lineage. According to the lawsuit, "the fire transformed the surrounding area into a long-term hazard zone."

Their attorney, Will Sykes, expressed sympathy for those affected by the Boyle Heights fire.

"All I can say is my heart goes out to the folks in Los Angeles, and obviously we're going to continue fighting for our clients in Finley," Sykes said.

A spokesperson for Lineage said she is working to get Eyewitness News more information on the fire in Finley and the company's response to the allegations in the lawsuit.

A particle pollution advisory has been extended through 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, the South Coast Air Quality Management District announced Monday.

The agency said the fire is still producing smoke and firefighting efforts are likely to continue.

County health officials urged residents impacted by the smoke from the Boyle Heights fire to take precautions.

County health officials urged residents impacted by the smoke to take precautions, such as staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, limiting activities outdoors and wearing a high-quality face mask while outside.

Many residents say they are angry and frustrated over the smoke.

"It's going into my house... I have dogs and my kids. It's just bad. The worst experience ever," East L.A. resident Ruben Hernandez said at an event where air purifiers were being handed out.

City News Service contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles fire chief says his goal is to extinguish the large warehouse fire impacting air quality in East Los Angeles by midweek.

The Los Angeles fire chief says his goal is to extinguish the large warehouse fire impacting air quality in East Los Angeles by midweek.

LAFD Chief Jaime Moore, Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials provided an update on the Boyle Heights firefight, which has now entered its sixth day, at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Moore says crews from around the region have responded to the warehouse fire thanks to the state of emergency declaration made over the weekend. Now that the response is larger, LAFD crews have been able to respond to their regular calls across the rest of the city.

Approximately 12,000 gallons of water per minute are being deployed on the fire, using things like high-powered water cannons, according to Moore. Crews have also been ripping the siding off the building to get better access.

Moore said his goal is to get the fire fully extinguished by midweek and turn the warehouse back over to its owner by Friday.

"This fire has improved significantly in the last two days. The more water we put on this fire, the less smoke we're going to get. Our goal is to be able to pull back those skins, pull back that roofing material, and get water to penetrate," Moore said. "Middle of this week, we will have this fire fully extinguished, and my goal... is to be able to turn this building back to the Lineage and to the building owner by Friday."

"This crisis is not over. Families are still dealing with the smoke, odor, ash, closed parks and community spaces, disrupted routines and serious concerns about what they are breathing. And people are tired. They are anxious, and they deserve answers," Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said. "While the emergency response continues, we cannot lose sight of what residents are experiencing on the ground."

The city said, so far, it has distributed roughly 23,000 masks and more than 500 air purifiers, and more are still available. Supplies were being distributed at the Boyle Heights City Hall Annex.

Residents are encouraged to stay inside their homes, especially if they are immunocompromised.

As a large warehouse fire continues to burn in Boyle Heights, local officials are distributing free air purifiers and masks for impacted residents.

As a large warehouse fire continues to burn in Boyle Heights, local officials are distributing free air purifiers and masks for impacted residents.

Video from Monday afternoon showed a long line of people-- wrapping around the parking lot and down the street -- at Our Lady of Victory Church on Herbert Avenue, where community members were lining up to receive free air purifiers and face masks.

Video from AIR7 and the ground in East Los Angeles shows thick smoke continuing to pour from the roof of the warehouse on South Los Palos Street. The smoke has traveled throughout Los Angeles County, raising concerns about air quality.

In an update on Monday afternoon, as the firefight enters its sixth day, Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore said crews are aggressively knocking down walls and using water canons to target the center of the fire. Firefighters are still not entering the warehouse until they can determine the status of the structural integrity of the roof.

"We will continue to make progress. Smoke conditions in the surrounding areas have improved significantly. We expect that trend to continue as we advance forward," Moore said. "I want to address the smoke in the air directly. If you are sensitive to smoke or have any respiratory concerns, please stay indoors."

The company that operates the site, Lineage, said it believes the fire started while contractors were conducting testing on a rooftop solar array. Still, LAFD said it is too early to determine an exact cause.

At a press conference on Monday afternoon, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said there are thousands of air purifiers and masks available to pass out. She said over 1,000 air purifiers were received from the L.A. Regional Food Bank, the Salvation Army and even some purifiers that were purchased by the mayor's office from Costco. Meanwhile, Bass said thousands of face masks were donated by Daniel Fontoura, the president of Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital.

In addition to the church, residents were also seen lining up for free supplies at the Boyle Heights City Hall Annex.

"We are also distributing food donated from the L.A. County Federation of Labor. From the start, the chief and I assured every possible resource would be put on this fire. While it still burns, the progress is remarkable, and that is a testament to the bravery and expertise of LAFD," Bass said.

Two voluntary shelters have also been opened for residents at the Pecan Recreation Center and City Terrace Park.

Bass said residents can call 311 to get more information about where to pick up masks and air purifiers. Residents can also find more details at cd14.lacity.gov.

A South Coast AQMD particulate pollution advisory remains in effect for the area through 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.