Los Angeles Freeway Fire Was Set Intentionally

Investigators discovered signs of arson Monday in the remains of the eight-acre blaze that torched and indefinitely closed a heavily trafficked section of the I-10 freeway in Downtown Los Angeles over the weekend.

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The I-10 freeway fire broke out in an under-freeway storage lot filled with wooden pallets and vehicles on Saturday. The fire damaged more than 100 support columns of the busy freeway leading officials to close both east-west bound traffic indefinitely as they investigate to what extent the freeway is structurally salvageable.

Another investigation into the cause of the massive fire, though, is pointing in one direction: arson. According to Reuters:

The arson finding came as California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed that the state had recently sued to evict the company that was leasing storage space on state property beneath the Santa Monica Freeway where the fire began early on Saturday.

But the governor said nothing to suggest the arson investigation was related to the eviction action or to any of the lease violations alleged by the state.

Newsom and state Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant told reporters that investigators were still seeking to identify the person or persons who set the blaze, and they appealed for the public’s help in identifying anyone responsible.

Berlant said investigators “have been able to confidently determine that the fire was caused by arson.” He declined to give more details about how investigators reached their conclusion or about how precisely the fire was ignited.

An aerial view of cleanup crews working beneath the closed I-10 freeway following a large pallet fire, which occurred Saturday at a storage yard, on November 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Engineers have been assessing the extent of the damage and it remains unknown how long the freeway, which is a major commuter artery through the downtown area, will remain closed and will complicate traffic for the city. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that over 300,000 vehicles drive through the freeway corridor each day and drivers are being urged to use public transit.Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the indefinite closure of the mile-long stretch of the 10 freeway between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue is likely to continue for several days or longer. More than 300,000 cars travel on this stretch of freeway daily, and it is one of the top 25 most-traveled locations in the entire United States according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Officials say the bridge is not at risk of collapse, and also said that a nearby encampment of unhoused individuals was not involved in the blaze.

Gov. Newsom said that the leaseholder for the state-owned property beneath the 10 freeway had stopped paying their rent and was actively violating the terms of their lease by subletting portions of the property to up-to five other tenants. The court hearing to carry out an eviction was scheduled for January or February of next year. The leaseholder is a Calabasas-based company called Apex Development, Inc.

California Governor Gavin Newsom (C) speaks as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (L) listens at a press conference near the closed I-10 elevated freeway following a large pallet fire, which occurred Saturday at a storage yard beneath the freeway, on November 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Engineers have been assessing the extent of the damage and it remains unknown how long the freeway, which is a major commuter artery through the downtown area, will remain closed and complicate traffic for the city. Newsom said the fire was caused by arson and that over 300,000 vehicles drive through the freeway corridor each day with drivers being urged to use public transit.Photo: Mario Tama (Getty Images)

The only I-10 disaster of similar scale happened in 1994 when the Northridge earthquake leveled portions of the freeway. Contractors finished repairs in only three months, thanks to a $200,000 bonus for every day the work was finished ahead of schedule. California might offer similar incentives to speed this repair work along as well

While traffic on Monday was less catastrophic than many feared, it will be interesting to see if that trend continues or if things get worse. Downtown LA is a mass of small, one-way streets that are often narrowed due to construction projects and events. This shutdown occurs less than a week before the Los Angeles International Auto Show, a massive industry event that is held less-than three miles from the closed stretch of freeway.