State of emergency in Los Angeles: A section of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles remains closed in both directions on Sunday as crews continue to evaluate the aftermath of a massive fire at a storage yard. Over 100 firefighters engaged in battling the fire that ignited early Saturday morning at a storage yard in the 1700 block of East 14th Street, as reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The blaze ultimately scorched 8 acres, equivalent to six football fields.
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During the incident, the flames extended to a similarly sized storage yard situated between Lawrence and Elwood streets, consuming a fire engine that got trapped in its path. Numerous civilian vehicles also fell victim to the inferno.
Pallets in both yards were largely consumed by the expansive flames, which also devoured parts of the freeway, vehicles, and other materials. Consequently, the fire led to the closure of the freeway from Alameda Street to the East Los Angeles Interchange, with no specified timeframe for reopening following the declaration of State of emergency in Los Angeles.
When will the Freeway reopen?
Over 24 hours later, Caltrans officials are still evaluating the damage and cannot provide a reopening timeframe for the freeway. Concerns mount over potential disruptions to Monday morning’s commute due to the continued closure. READ ALSO: Glamour and Financial Struggles: Challenges of African Musicians
“This is a whole of government response as we work effectively and efficiently to safely re-open this critical transit corridor for Angelenos as quickly as possible,” said Governor Newsom. “I want to thank the first responders, emergency personnel, and local and state officials who are working around the clock. And I want to assure all Angelenos that the necessary resources to repair this damage have been made available to minimize the impact.”
Wonder explained that if the damage is primarily cosmetic, there’s a possibility of resuming traffic on the bridge. However, if it involves the rebar, putting a traffic load on it is not feasible, and the timeline for repairs could range from a week to a month, or potentially less.
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“I have directed all city departments to urgently respond to the impacts of this closure by ensuring that there is a plan for the hundreds of thousands of Angelenos who commute or live by this incident, and I am in touch with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Governor Newsom and our state partners to ensure that there are no barriers to getting this portion of the 10 Freeway up and running as fast as possible,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “While the repairs are being made, it is my top priority that we provide as much information as possible to ensure that our communities, our commuters, our businesses and all those who are impacted by this are well informed each step of the way.”
State of Emergency declared
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass surveyed the damage on Saturday, coinciding with Governor Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County to expedite cleanup and repairs.
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At noon on Sunday, Mayor Bass will provide an update during a press conference, where she will articulate her directives to city departments for immediate traffic mitigation planning, addressing the closure’s impact on Angelenos. She emphasized urgent coordination with state partners and notes her communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who assures White House readiness to assist.
Drawing parallels to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Bass calls for a similar level of urgency and effort in addressing the structural damage. For those attending major sporting events in or around downtown L.A., it is advisable to consider alternate routes or anticipate delays.