On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom of California declared a state of emergency in response to a massive industrial fire. The fire incident caused the closure of one of the busiest freeways in downtown Los Angeles.
“The state is mobilizing resources and taking steps to ensure necessary repairs are completed as soon as possible to minimize the impact on those traveling in and around Los Angeles,” Newsom said in a statement.
“The state will assess the damage, remove the hazardous waste and begin repairs as soon as the site can be accessed,” he added. “Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol will continue to provide updates as they become available.”
The inferno broke out early this morning around 12:30 a.m. in a pallet yard under the I-10 freeway near East 14th and Alameda streets, authorities said.
The fire eventually expanded to cover an area of eight hectares before it was finally extinguished.
Video footage obtained by KABC shows a stunning sight where huge flames shot up into the sky, engulfing a freeway bridge.
#BREAKING Both directions of the 10 freeway near Alameda in downtown Los Angeles are closed after a massive pallet fire. @LAFD on scene. CALTRANS is determining if the highway’s structural integrity has been compromised.
(🎥: @RMGNews)
Stay with @ABC7 for updates. pic.twitter.com/mVFSMA82LN
— Marc Cota-Robles (@abc7marccr) November 11, 2023
The massive flames caused homeless people living under the roadway to disperse hastily. The fire also damaged an LAFD fire engine and civilian automobiles.
According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), there were no injuries.
Caltrans said the freeway would be closed for at least 24 hours while they assessed the damage.
“If it’s just the concrete that’s what we call broken, chipped, there might be an opportunity to come in and do some cosmetic fixes,” Caltrans spokeswoman Lauren Wonder told KABC. “If it has come down to the rebar and there is some concern about the structural integrity of the bridge, we would have to keep any traffic load off the structure and then it would be more extensive repair.”
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