A massive fire in Los Angeles closed down a portion of the 10 freeway near a homeless encampment on Saturday. The fire was first reported on Saturday around 12:30 am under the 10 freeway at Alameda and East 14th Street.
The size and intensity of the fire melted some of the steel guard rails and caused some damage to fire trucks.
It is unclear if the fire started in the homeless encampment. California officials have not yet reported the reason for the fire.
An estimated 300,000 commuters are impacted by the massive fire that damaged the 10 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. The freeway will be closed from Alameda Street to Santa Fe Avenue indefinitely, creating a traffic nightmare.
The blaze was first reported early Saturday around 12:30 a.m. at a pallet yard underneath the freeway near East 14th and Alameda streets. It engulfed both sides of 14th Street underneath the 10, eventually melting some of the freeway’s steel guardrails and damaging firetrucks, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
In a press conference on Sunday, Mayor Bass, along with officials from the L.A. Department of Transportation and Metro among others, said commuters who need to travel to or through downtown L.A. will need to prepare alternative routes, leave earlier than normal and plan for delays.
“We are starting to see more and more people trying to actually get to work just off 14th under the 10 freeway. LAPD officers are telling them they cannot get through. Why? Because the 10 freeway is closed up top.” KTLA reported.
Watch:
TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE: The 10 Freeway just south of downtown Los Angeles will be closed indefinitely due to a fire that erupted underneath the busy interstate. @ktlagingerchan pic.twitter.com/elkZok2fiU
— KTLA (@KTLA) November 13, 2023
“It went through several storage yards, the damage spanning about 2 blocks.” KTLA reported.
Footage from a drone shows just how big the fire was. It took a total of about 160 firefighters to put out the blaze over a period of many hours. Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass went to the site to survey the damage.
“More than 300,000 people go through this corridor on a daily basis.” KTLA reported.
The Democrat Governor claimed there was a violation of terms of the lease from the entity occupying the area. There was also a homeless encampment nearby with about a dozen people. No one was hurt and they were moved out of the area and put into housing.
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This is a developing story and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
