A massive fire that has left the Interstate 10 highway in Los Angeles closed indefinitely was “set intentionally”, the Governor of California has said.
Gavin Newsom told a press conference on Monday that a preliminary investigation into the incident, which has caused traffic chaos in the city, had found “malice and intent”.
“The fire marshall made the determination that there was malice intent... This fire occurred within the fenceline of the facility you see behind me, that it was arson, and that it was done and set intentionally,” he told reporters.
An investigation is still ongoing and the governor did not say whether there were any suspects or leads on who may have set the blaze.
“Arson appears to be the likely ignition for this fire. That ignition was determined with precision by the fire marshall and their teams,” Mr Newsom said, adding that structural analysis on the bridge was also still ongoing.
A mile-long section of the freeway near downtown LA, which sees 300,000 vehicles use it every day, remains closed indefinitely— (AP)
A mile-long section of the freeway near downtown LA, which sees 300,000 vehicles use it every day, remains closed indefinitely after more than 160 firefighters battled the fire.
Surveyors have determined that nearly 100 columns of the freeway were damaged in the fire, at least nine of which were severely impacted. Crews are working to brace the freeway deck as they repair the damaged portions of the structure.
Photos of the aftermath showed blackened pillars and and concrete patches missing from columns as a result of the blaze. Large pieces of metal and the inner portions of the support columns were left exposed.
Firefighters assess the damage from a intense fire under Interstate 10 that severely damaged the overpass in an industrial zone near downtown Los Angeles— (AP)
Subsequent sample testing is underway to determine "whether or not we're tearing this down and replacing it or we're continuing the retrofit, and the repairs and the bracing," Mr Newsom said.
LA Mayor Karen Bass described the closure of the interstate as a “crisis” for a city already notorious for its traffic woes.
At the press conference she urged travellers to prepare for delays and plan alternative routes while the interstate remains shut down in both directions near Alameda Street in the city’s downtown area.
Authorities say that the fire was reported at 12.20am on Saturday, with flames burning through cars and wooden pallets in an eight-acre area under the elevated freeway.
At least 16 homeless people living underneath the highway were taken to shelters, Ms Bass said previously. It is not known if the homeless encampments played any role in the fire.
Ahead of the Monday morning commute, a citywide alert was sent to residents’ phones warning the freeway “will be closed indefinitely” and to “expect significant traffic”.
“It’s of significant consequence to the economy, to the health and safety of Angelenos,” Mr Newsom said on Monday. “The impact to our schools, to vulnerable communities – all of that we take very seriously, and we’re sober and mindful of the urgency to get this open.”
