Inside El Leon de Oro, the historic Boyle Heights nightclub tied to a ghostly woman, a cowboy apparition and generations of Los Angeles lore.

Inside El Leon de Oro, the historic Boyle Heights nightclub tied to a ghostly woman, a cowboy apparition and generations of Los Angeles lore.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has concluded that the cause of a massive fire at a cold-storage warehouse in Boyle Heights remains undetermined, despite a months-long investigation. The fire, which began on the roof of the Lineage-operated warehouse, saturated the neighborhood with smoke and a putrid odor for weeks, leading to health concerns and disruptions for residents. According to the LAFD's investigative report, the fire originated 'at or adjacent to a section of solar panels,' where an electrical event occurred, but investigators could not identify the specific cause of the electrical event. Lineage, the company that operated the warehouse, has alleged that the fire was caused by solar panels operated by a third-party company, Altus Power, which was performing testing on June 17. The LAFD report confirmed that the solar panels and their connected components were the only ignition source the department could not rule out as a cause. City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation's conclusion, stating that determining the cause matters for accountability and preventing future disasters. Mayor Karen Bass has vowed to continue efforts to prevent Lineage from rebuilding at the site. Lineage has sued Altus Power and its contractor, Pearce Services, alleging negligence in the operation of the solar panels. The lawsuit claims that Altus and Pearce used incompatible connectors and jumpers, increasing fire risk, and prematurely re-energized the solar array despite safety concerns. The fire's aftermath included the removal of 89 million pounds of thawing, rotting meat, debris, and other materials, leading to swarms of flies and rats in the neighborhood. The LAFD report also noted that Lineage had previously requested the removal of an emergency shutdown switch from the solar panels after a 2024 fire, but no variances were granted. The investigation's failure to determine the cause has left residents with ongoing health concerns and unanswered questions about the safety of the site.

TikTok video by Nick Caputo • Livable Advanced