The cause of the fire has not been determined. We are working closely with local officials to assist in all investigations and remediations of the fire and will continue to do so as we cleanup once the site is safe for entry.

Since the fire started, there have been no measurable ammonia concentrations recorded in the community by any of the responding agencies. Ammonia is one of the most commonly used refrigerants in industrial cooling and freezing. As part of Lineage’s emergency response, once the fire started, Lineage immediately pumped out the liquid ammonia from within the facility’s refrigeration system into the refrigeration system machine room. The refrigeration system’s machine room has not been impacted by the fire. Lineage has since proactively taken additional steps to pump out the liquid ammonia from the machine room and transport it offsite. 

We are grateful to report that all employees were safely evacuated and no injuries have been reported. The safety of our employees, partners and surrounding community remains our highest priority. 

We are supporting team members impacted by providing resources through our Employee Assistance Program and having them report to other buildings in our network where possible. 

Lineage has been working closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), local officials, emergency responders, and community partners throughout the response. We remain committed to supporting response and assessment efforts and following the guidance of public safety officials. Lineage’s top priority continues to be the health and safety of our employees, partners, and the communities in which we live and operate.

Lineage provides temperature-controlled warehousing and supply chain solutions for the storage, handling, and movement of food and other temperature-sensitive products. We serve thousands of customers including some of the world’s largest food and beverage producers, retailers, and distributors to help feed the world.

Lineage operates temperature-controlled warehouses that primarily store food. Ammonia is used in some of our refrigeration systems that keep the buildings cold. Compared to synthetic refrigerants, which generate potent greenhouse gases, ammonia has a low global warming potential (GWP) and is considered a more sustainable option.

Blast freezing is the process of quickly freezing food products to maintain their color, texture, and flavor. Instead of allowing a product to gradually freeze in storage, like you might do at home with leftovers placed in your freezer, blast freezing uses very cold air which is circulated to rapidly remove heat from the product, so it freezes quickly and evenly. Many products undergo blast freezing before they enter frozen storage or are transported to their next destination in the cold chain.

We have deployed senior operations, sales, engineering, safety, and customer service teams across our network to support the response. We are actively securing alternative warehouse capacity throughout the Greater Los Angeles market and our broader network to meet customers’ warehousing needs. We have also mobilized our transportation services team who are prepared to help reposition product as necessary.

Cold storage is a critical part of the global food supply chain. Maintaining the proper temperature helps protect food quality and safety, reduce waste, and enables products to move efficiently from producers and importers to the communities they feed. Although they operate behind the scenes, cold storage facilities play an important role in helping keep food moving safely from where it’s grown or produced to grocery stores, restaurants, and communities. 

The Big Bear facility is part of Lineage's Southern California network, which helps support the movement of temperature-controlled products through one of the nation's most important trade gateways. Located near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the facility is part of a network that helps connect food products to 10M people in communities throughout Southern California and beyond. 

Southern California is home to the largest import hub in the U.S. Products like seafood, pork, beef, and poultry from major markets around the globe travel through here for regional distribution for West Coast grocery stores, restaurants, and more. Facilities like Big Bear help maintain the cold chain by keeping temperature-sensitive products at the proper temperature as they move through the food supply chain. From arrival at port to their next destination, these facilities help ensure products are handled safely and efficiently while preserving quality and freshness. 

The facility supports a variety of roles that help keep food moving on its journey to your table, including warehouse operations, logistics and transportation coordination, maintenance, customer support, and administrative functions. These team members help products move safely and efficiently through the food supply chain.