Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after a devastating fire shut down part of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night. The fire was first reported early Saturday around 12:30 a.m. at a pallet yard underneath the freeway near East 14th and Alameda streets.
Mayor Karen Bass urged Angelenos to stay informed and prepare for major closures on the I-10 Freeway east of Downtown Los Angeles ahead of anticipated heavy travel to work and school on Monday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, state and local officials joined Mayor Bass today to assess the impacted area and to provide updates on the ongoing response of the damage.
Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov for updates.
Earlier today, Mayor Bass toured the site of the fire with Governor Newsom, California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin, Los Angeles City Department of Transportation General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore and more. See b-roll of the visit here and watch the press conference livestream here.
“I have directed all city departments to urgently respond to the impacts of this closure by ensuring that there is a plan for the hundreds of thousands of Angelenos who commute or live by this incident, and I am in touch with Secretary of Transportation Pete Butigieg, Governor Newsom and our state partners to ensure that there are no barriers to getting this portion of the 10 Freeway up and running as fast as possible,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “While the repairs are being made, it is my top priority that we provide as much information as possible to ensure that our communities, our commuters, our businesses and all those who are impacted by this are well informed each step of the way.”
“This is a whole of government response as we work effectively and efficiently to safely re-open this critical transit corridor for Angelenos as quickly as possible,” said Governor Newsom. “I want to thank the first responders, emergency personnel, and local and state officials who are working around the clock. And I want to assure all Angelenos that the necessary resources to repair this damage have been made available to minimize the impact.”
The cause of the fire is currently being investigated. On the day of the fire, Mayor Bass activated the Emergency Operations Center as the city rapidly worked to respond to this damage. Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov/updates for information about closures, alternative routes and public transportation options by going Metro. The Mayor has directed all city departments to urgently respond to this fire by:
-
Ensuring that there’s a plan for Angelenos who commute or live by this incident
-
Working to get the 10 freeway up and running again as fast as possible
-
Providing as much information as possible to ensure that our communities and commuters are well informed every step of the way
The Mayor is in touch with the White House and the Governor’s Office to ensure that there are no barriers to rebuilding. Many hundreds of thousands will be impacted by this closure, which is why the Mayor is treating this issue with such urgency. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, CalTrans worked around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the freeways, and this structural damage calls for the same level of urgency and effort.
The next update will be provided for press at 4:15 PM in downtown Los Angeles.
