In June, a significant fire at a food warehouse in Los Angeles covered parts of the city in smoke. This event was not unique. CBS News found it was part of a series of fires at facilities associated with Lineage, a major cold storage company. Federal records reveal at least 63 fires at Lineage-run properties over the past decade.
Lineage acknowledged 34 fires, including a prolonged fire in Finley, Washington. The June 17 fire at a Boyle Heights warehouse brought renewed attention to the company’s safety record. Local residents remain affected by the aftermath, reporting odors, pests, and uncertainty concerning pollutants.
“I feel that leadership at all levels has failed us,” a resident expressed during a town hall.
Lineage operated the Boyle Heights warehouse, owned by Chill Build LLC. Chill Build spent extensively on the fire response, while Lineage managed odor and pest control and waste removal. Residents filed lawsuits, citing failures in maintaining the facility, which they allege led to hazardous pollutants.
Firefighters dealt with one of the largest industrial fires in Los Angeles history, leaving 85 million pounds of spoiled food. Dr. Jill Johnston, an environmental health scientist at UC Irvine, warned this incident exacerbates existing urban air quality issues.
Lineage, with over 500 global storage facilities, claims safety is paramount. Yet the CBS News investigation reported numerous fires at their sites since 2016. The company’s history includes penalties exceeding $4.5 million for workplace and environmental safety infractions.
In January 2020, an ammonia leak at a North Carolina warehouse resulted in a fatality. The use of anhydrous ammonia in refrigeration presents inherent risks, according to experts.
Boyle Heights residents demand the warehouse’s permanent closure. Lineage monitors air quality, reporting no harmful ammonia levels post-fire. Yet air tests in July indicated elevated ammonia levels near the warehouse, though not dangerously high. The EPA requested Lineage’s compliance data, seeking clarity on hazardous chemical releases.
Cold storage facilities, often near urban areas, pose unique challenges. In Boyle Heights, residents live close to such warehouses, intensifying the impact of potential toxins.
Lineage maintains its commitment to safety, emphasizing their industry outperformance and the efforts of their engineering and compliance teams.