LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lineage, Inc. (NASDAQ: LINE) today filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Altus Power, Inc., a commercial solar operator, and its contractor Pearce Services LLC, a subsidiary of CBRE Group, alleging that their negligence caused the June 17, 2026, fire that destroyed Lineage’s 500,000 square-foot cold storage facility in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Key points from the suit:
- Altus and Pearce’s negligence started the fire. They abandoned Lineage to clean up the site on their own and ignored the Boyle Heights community. This was a solar fire, not a warehouse fire.
- Altus was and is the owner of the solar array, and this was not Altus’ first fire at the facility. In August 2024, the same solar array sparked a smaller fire on the facility’s roof. Following that incident, Lineage called for enhanced safety measures before the array could be re-energized, and Altus retained Pearce to reconfigure the array. By May 2026, more than 200 connector failures had been identified across the array, including in the section where the June fire would begin.
- Altus and Pearce disregarded Lineage’s written safety directives and re-energized a defective rooftop solar array before required safety checks were completed – days before the fire.
- On June 11, 2026, Lineage notified Altus in writing that the system should not be re-energized until critical safety tests were completed. Altus and Pearce deliberately ignored those instructions. Beginning on June 5 and continuing through June 17, the array was energized without completing the required testing and before all work on the array had been completed. The fire ignited on June 17 while Pearce personnel were working on the energized system.
- When the community needed direct assistance and the site cleaned up, Altus and Pearce did nothing. Lineage has a longstanding track record of operating with the highest degree of integrity backed by the Company’s commitments to the communities and customers it serves. Since the fire began, Lineage has provided community support including direct financial assistance, relocation, air conditioners, air purifiers and grocery cards. With the cleanup completed, Lineage’s commitment to the community of Boyle Heights continues, and the Company remains dedicated to ongoing and transparent communication with neighbors and local community organizations to understand ongoing needs.
“This lawsuit is about Altus and Pearce starting this fire and then being nowhere to be found when the community needed help,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, President & CEO of Lineage. “From the moment it started, Lineage stood alone in supporting remediation and cleanup efforts for a neighborhood impacted through absolutely no fault of our own. The record is clear: this was a solar fire. Cold storage is not a risk to communities – it is an essential service that lowers food costs, expands food access and creates jobs. We are grateful to each and every worker who contributed over 210,000 hours to complete this unprecedented and complex cleanup in record time. We want to thank the community of Boyle Heights and East LA for their patience during this process. With the cleanup completed, now is the right time to pursue accountability and recover the substantial losses we incurred as a result of Altus’s and Pearce’s negligence.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.onelineage.com/boyle-heights-fire-response.
About Lineage, Inc.
Lineage, Inc. (NASDAQ: LINE) partners with food and beverage producers, retailers, and distributors to help increase distribution efficiency, advance sustainability, minimize supply chain waste, and, most importantly, feed the world. Learn more at onelineage.com and join us
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Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Lineage intends for all such forward-looking statements to be covered by the applicable safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in those acts. Such forward-looking statements can generally be identified by Lineage’s use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “seek,” “objective,” “goal,” “strategy,” “plan,” “focus,” “priority,” “should,” “could,” “potential,” “possible,” “look forward,” “optimistic,” or other similar words. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including known and unknown risks, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Therefore, such statements are not intended to be a guarantee of Lineage’s performance in future periods. Except as required by law, Lineage does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this release.
While the forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by the Company, they are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of the Company and cannot be predicted with accuracy and may not be realized. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements can or will be attained or maintained. Actual operating results may vary materially from the forward-looking statements included in this Press Release.
Media Contact
Megan Klein
VP, Global Marketing & Communications
pr@onelineage.com
