City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, released a statement informing the the Greater Los Angeles County area that due to a major fire underneath the Interstate-10 freeway on 14th Street that damaged the structure of the freeway, the I-10 freeway is currently closed in both directions from Alameda Street to Santa Fe Avenue. The closure will remain in place until further notice.
The fire was initially reported in the early hours of Saturday, at approximately 12:30 a.m., originating at a pallet yard located beneath the freeway in the vicinity of East 14th and Alameda streets.
Governor Gavin Newsom officially declared a state of emergency in response to the fire. According to officials, the impacted segment of the freeway will remain closed indefinitely.
Prepare to use an alternative route on your commute through the Downtown LA area. Leave early and plan for delays.
The following interchanges are either being diverted or are completely shut down:
- Northbound 5 Freeway to westbound 10 Freeway
- Southbound 5 Freeway to westbound 10 Freeway
- Westbound 60 Freeway to westbound 10 Freeway
- The westbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Soto Avenue
- The eastbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Alameda Street
- The westbound 10 Freeway on-ramp at Santa Fe Avenue
The fire rapidly extended to adjacent storage yards, consuming both sides of 14th Street beneath the 10 Freeway. In the process, it reached temperatures high enough to melt some of the steel guardrails on the freeway and caused damage to firetrucks, as reported by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
To combat the blaze, over 160 firefighters from 26 different companies and a helicopter were dispatched.
While fire crews successfully protected three nearby buildings from the inferno, significant damage occurred along the freeway. The intense flames forced the evacuation of a homeless encampment situated beneath an overpass, as the fire engulfed the area and resulted in the collapse of portions of supporting concrete columns.
For detailed maps, detour information, and updated information, visit emergency.lacity.gov/updates
