Los Angeles freeway fire being investigated as arson: Governor

(LOS ANGELES) — California Gov. Gavin Newson said Monday afternoon that the fire that shut down the I-10 freeway in Los Angeles is being investigated as arson.

Newsom broke the news at a press conference about the incident alongside Mayor Karen Bass.

Due to the I-10 — a major east-to-west artery in Los Angeles — being shut down in both directions, Bass suggested locals take other routes, work from home or take the Metro.

“We’re getting the 10 freeway up and running as fast as possible,” she said during the news conference.

Over the weekend, commuters in Los Angeles began bracing for an all-day traffic nightmare Monday after the I-10 was shut down indefinitely by a massive fire that erupted in a storage yard underneath the raised freeway.

The I-10, traversed by more than 300,000 drivers daily, remained closed in both directions as authorities suggested a series of detours and announced there is no timeline on when the thoroughfare through downtown Los Angeles will reopen.

“As we made clear yesterday, this was a huge fire, and the damage will not be fixed in an instant,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a news conference Monday morning. “Engineers have worked all night and are working right now to determine our path forward.”

On Sunday, Bass said, “There’s no reason to think this is going to be over in a couple of days.”

“We cannot give you an estimate of time right now,” Bass said of when the freeway might reopen.

Bass told commuters earlier on Monday to expect epic traffic jams akin to what was seen after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a 6.7-magnitude shaker that collapsed several freeways in the Los Angeles area.

“For those of you who remember the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Caltrans [the California Department of Transportation] worked around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the freeways — and this structural damage calls for the same level of urgency and effort,” Bass said.

The fire broke out underneath the I-10 just after midnight Saturday, ripping through numerous wooden pallets, trailers and vehicles stored below the raised interstate, officials said. The fire sent thick smoke and towering flames into the sky and dealt a challenge to more than 160 firefighters who responded to put out the blaze.

The out-of-control fire burned for three hours and spread over what authorities described as the equivalent of six football fields before it was extinguished. About 16 homeless people living underneath the highway were evacuated to shelters, officials said.

Mayor Bass said Monday afternoon that no information is known beyond arson being the suspected origin of the fire. She also urged people not to jump to conclusions.

“There is no reason to assume that the origin of this fire or the reason this fire happened was because there were unhoused individuals nearby,” she said, adding, “I want you to know we are working urgently to address this crisis.”

Caltrans officials said crews are still assessing the damage caused to columns and support beams under the freeway, but could not say when it would be cleared to reopen. Hazardous materials teams are also clearing burned material from the site.

“We’re seeing a lot of … concrete that’s flaked off the columns. The underside of the bridge deck may be compromised,” said Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokesperson. “It’s sort of a waiting situation right now. We don’t have an estimated time of opening, but Caltrans wants to ensure that this bridge is safe to put traffic back on it.”

Newsom declared a state of emergency to help facilitate cleanup and repairs to the freeway.

“Remember, this is an investigation as to the cause of how this occurred, as well as a hazmat and structural engineering question,” Newsom said earlier. “Can you open a few lanes? Can you retrofit the columns? Is the bridge deck intact to allow for a few lanes to remain open again?”

Rafael Molina, deputy district director for the division of traffic at the California Department of Transporation, said Monday morning that there were early indications that commuters were heeding the warnings.

“In looking at the traffic data earlier this morning, I am somewhat pleased to say that the congestion was a little bit lighter than normal,” Molina said. “However, please, if you don’t need to be in downtown Los Angeles, please avoid those trips.”

Transportation officials said the storage area that caught fire is leased by a private company.

California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin said officials are reevaluating whether to continue allowing storage yards under highways, but noted that such places are common across the state and nation.