SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2023 — One of Southern California’s most heavily trafficked freeways, Interstate 10, is closed indefinitely for two miles in both directions between Alameda St. and Santa Fe Avenue in Los Angeles due to an early morning fire on Saturday.
Some of the steel guardrails on the off-ramp were melted from the heat as well as up to 100 concrete pillars that support the popular stretch of overhead highway.
If you have plans to drive through Los Angeles on I-10 in the near future, adjust your plans. The scene will likely be chaotic.
The California Highway Patrol says the closure could last days as city engineers work to determine the structural integrity. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County. In a statement released Saturday evening, Newsom said the state is “mobilizing resources and taking steps to ensure any necessary repairs are completed on the I-10 as soon as possible to minimize the impact on those traveling in and around Los Angeles.”
A contingent of 160 Los Angeles firefighters and 26 companies battled the intense flames. The fire was reported at 1:46 a.m. Saturday morning beneath the freeway in downtown Los Angeles at a storage yard which included pallets, shipping containers and vehicles.
Many homeless people were living in the area, some in RVs, and they were all driven back by the heat but none were injured, according to David Ortiz, Public Information Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department.
For the latest information on the road closure visit Caltrans at https://roads.dot.ca.gov (type in I-10) or call 800-427-7623.
I remember when the earthquake happened and the freeway was shut down because an overpass, that I had driven on not 10 minutes before, had collapsed. I had honestly forgotten about that until reading this.
However that was natural causes. I am curious if the tremendous homeless population, who light fires to keep warm, are at fault here and if the unbelievable backlog and disruption of commutes might finally spur LA to do something about the homeless population?