Arson Caused 10 Freeway Fire That Crippled LA Traffic, Newsom Said

LOS ANGELES, CA — The massive fire that forced the indefinite closure of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway was an act of arson, California authorities said Monday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said investigators were trying to determine if one person or more were involved. He gave no other details.

“I have to stress that we have determined what started the fire,” Newsom told reporters.

The Downtown blaze crippled traffic in freeway-dependent Los Angeles, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to urge Angelenos to avoid driving and Newsom to declare a state of emergency.

Beyond a massive traffic headache, the closure is expected to be felt well beyond the metropolis, including possibly slowing the transport of goods from the twin ports of LA and Long Beach, federal officials have said. The ports handle more than half the goods coming into the country. President Joe Biden had been briefed on the fire.

The fire erupted Saturday in two storage lots under Interstate 10. Construction materials combusted quickly and the fire grew. It left many columns charred and chipped and the deck guardrails twisted. Crews shored up the most damaged section for the safety of workers clearing the debris. It’s still unclear what structural damage, if any, the blaze caused to the freeway.

The Los Angeles Times reported that sanitizer accumulated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was stored under the overpass and combined with wooden pallets to fuel the inferno.

Tests were being conducted Monday on core samples of concrete and rebar taken from columns beneath a stretch of the freeway with the results of the testing likely to determine how long the heavily traveled roadway will remain blocked for repair work.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the initial assessment of the fire damage showed that "dozens and dozens of columns" have been damaged, but the freeway's bridge deck was the primary focus.

"Our ability to rebuild columns is a much shorter time period than the bridge deck itself," he said.

Bass said there has been no correlation found between a homeless encampment near the fire site and the fire.

Newsom noted the fire occurred at the same site where he and other officials attended a recent cleanup of a homeless encampment.

He also said the entity leasing the property where the pallet yard caught on fire early Saturday was in violation of the terms of its lease, and added that litigation is ongoing in the case. Newsom said more details would be provided later, but he mentioned that the lease had expired, and the party in question is suspected of sub-leasing the property.

Officials said an estimated 300,000 people per day use the stretch of freeway between roughly Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue. The closure also impacts the East L.A. Interchange, impacting connectors to the Golden State (5) and the Hollywood (101) and Pomona (60) freeways

“This morning, I want to speak directly to the 300,000 people who would normally drive on the stretch of the 10,” Bass said Monday. “And to those who live, work or have appointments or schools in the area. As we made clear yesterday, this was a huge fire and the damage will not be fixed in an instant.

"The impact on all travelers, you can check your travel navigation apps, and we would encourage employers if it is at all possible to have your workforce work remotely," Bass added "I want everyone to understand that we were acting urgently and we will not stop. I want to make sure that the city upholds our end of the bargain."

Laura Rubio-Cornejo, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, said her agency was closely monitoring traffic issues and would adjust traffic signals in the area as needed.

For motorists who must traverse the downtown area, Rubio-Cornejo said traffic officers have been at the scene since Saturday morning to inform and assist drivers.

Doug Young, an assistant chief with the CHP, provided the following freeway detours:

-- drivers on eastbound I-10 will be diverted at Alameda Street;

-- drivers on the westbound 60 will be diverted to northbound I-5 or northbound 101;

-- drivers on southbound I-5 will be diverted onto the westbound I-10 but must take the first exit at Mateo Street;

-- drivers on northbound I-5 must divert to the northbound 101.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.