In an aerial view, cleanup crews work beneath the closed I-10 freeway following a large pallet fire.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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Topline:
The fire that shut down the 10 Freeway indefinitely was likely started by arson, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at a news conference this afternoon.
Why now: CalFire finished its investigation 12 hours early and made a preliminary determination there was malice intent, Newsom added.
What's next: Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday morning at a news conference that the damage to the 10 Freeway does not require demolition. He said with 24/7 work on repairs the timeline to reopening is three to five weeks.
Latest updates
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday morning at a news conference that the damage to the 10 Freeway does not require demolition. Instead, he said with 24/7 work on repairs, the timeline to reopening is three to five weeks. He also said crew would install cameras so that the public can monitor the project's progress, as well as on fixthe10.ca.gov.
The fire that shut down the 10 Freeway was likely started by arson, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at a news conference Monday. CalFire finished its investigation 12 hours early and made a preliminary determination there was malice intent, Newsom added. “That it was arson, and that it was done and set intentionally,” he said. “That determination of who is responsible is an investigation that is ongoing.”
While the fire remains under investigation, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass told LAist 89.3’s Air Talk on Tuesday speculation on social media and elsewhere is not helpful.
"There's a lot of accusations against the homeless people that were in the area,” she said. “There is no reason, at this point in time, to associate the encampment with the fire that took place there.”
The company that leased the space under the freeway from CalTrans, Apex Development Inc., is facing lawsuits for subleasing the site to at least five other tenants without authorization, according to Newsom. Officials are now checking to see if the Calabasas-based company is out of compliance with the other leases it holds in the area.
"So to say the whole thing is a mess is an understatement," Bass said Tuesday, "but this company is going to have its date in court at the beginning of the year."
As for why flammable material was stored under a major freeway in the first place, Bass said: "It's not just flammable materials, it's materials, period and it's also oversight and accountability and all of that I think is going to come the question now because — just in our city alone — you were talking about miles and miles of property underneath the freeways that the state leases out.
"And so all of that needs to be scrutinized and the governor has assured us that it will be, I mean, especially pallet storage of all things, given the number of pallet fires we have in pallet yards each year in Southern California."
Why it matters
An aerial view of workers walking on the closed 10 freeway where 300,000 vehicles typical drive through each day.
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Mario Tama
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Getty Images
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This stretch of the 10 Freeway typically handles about 300,000 vehicles a day, making it one of the busiest in the nation. It's also critical artery for people accessing downtown Los Angeles.
The context
This photo provided by the California Department of Transportation shows an early morning fire along Interstate 10 near downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.
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Richard Vogel
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Caltrans District 7 via AP
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In the early morning of Saturday, Nov. 11, a fire started at a pallet yard just north of the 10 Freeway near the intersection of East 14th Street and South Alameda Street. Los Angeles Fire Department officials said the blaze quickly spread to a second pallet yard. At its biggest, nearly eight acres were affected.
More than 160 firefighters were at the scene.
Within three hours, it was largely out.
Some hotspots remained in hard-to-reach areas underneath the freeway.
The fire was fully knocked down the following day.
What we know about the damage
Here's what officials have said so far:
About 450 feet of the freeway was affected.
That includes more than 90 concrete support columns, each 3 feet in diameter and nearly 16 feet tall.
Authorities said it must all be inspected carefully, which includes taking concrete and rebar samples from the underside of the bridge and columns.
“Once we analyze these samples, we will get a clearer idea of our repair strategy,” said Toks Omishakin, California's secretary of transportation.
One hopeful nugget: Newsom said Monday that the preliminary structural samples taken from the freeway are more positive than expected.
About your commute
City of L.A. has information on alternate routes here.
Mayor Karen Bass has urged people to use traffic apps such as Waze and Google maps and said city officials are working with those apps to keep people off surface streets.
How we're reporting on this
On Monday: Reporter Yusra Farzan covered commuter experiences, Susanne Whatley, who hosts Morning Edition for LAist 89.3 interviewed Mayor Karen Bass. Additional reporting Monday by Mariana Dale and Frank Stoltze. Our AirTalk show also had a number of experts on Monday morning's show. Editing by Karina Gacad, our AM editor.
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
What questions we're asking
What is the timeline for rebuilding?
Can the freeway segment be repaired or do we need to demolish and start over?
How does this compare to the damage and rebuilding efforts following the 1994 Northridge earthquake?
What are the environmental impacts of the smoke and debris?
