A stretch of the Harbor (110) Freeway in Wilmington remained shut down Wednesday because of a rubbish fire that broke out in a tunnel and shut down lanes.
The fire was reported at 7:50 p.m. Monday in what was described as an access portal beneath the freeway between Harry Bridges Boulevard and Channel Street, near San Pedro and the Port of Los Angeles.
The freeway was closed in both directions as a result, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“This is a complex, prolonged-duration emergency that will have many phases prior to completion,” the LAFD, Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol said in a joint statement. “Public and responder safety remains a top priority.”
The fire was believed to have been started by people living in a homeless encampment.
LAFD Heavy Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue crews responded to the northbound freeway where they found the remnants of a fire, LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said. By 8:50 p.m. Monday, crews were working to access and suppress fire inside the confined space.
A Caltrans highway engineer was called in and LAFD Incident Command prioritized firefighter safety while working to extinguish the fire, Lantz said. At 10:49 p.m. Monday, the California Highway Patrol shut down the 110 Freeway in both directions.
Southbound lanes were reopened around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, but northbound lanes remained closed between Harry Bridges Boulevard and Channel Street.
Just before noon Wednesday, the fire department reported the fire was finally fully out in the tunnel, which is at least 150 feet long, but there was “significant work” remaining to be done.
“Crews are continuing dewatering operations, a comprehensive tunnel search and structural assessment before northbound lanes can reopen,” according to an LAFD statement.
No injuries have been reported.
Fire crews had not been able to get in deep enough to find the seat of the fire, which was sending smoke out of the tunnel opening long after the blaze was first reported.
LAFD Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo told reporters at the scene his department was worried about the structural integrity of the freeway after it was assessed by a structural engineer from Caltrans.
A Caltrans official at the location said crews were trying to see if the fire affected concrete, rebar and girders above the tunnel, and if the span can support traffic.
There was no immediate estimate of when northbound lanes would reopen.
Authorities were recommending drivers take the following alternates routes: “Northbound 110: From San Pedro, take Gaffey Street north to access the freeway at a later point. Alternative surface routes: Use Harbor Boulevard or Western Avenue (CA-213) to move northbound through the Wilmington/San Pedro area. Avoiding the area entirely: Use I-710 north or I-405 north to I-710 north if coming from the Long Beach area.”