A rubbish fire raged inside a flood control tunnel near the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area Thursday, prompting crews to bring in a firefighting robot as they battled the inferno from defensive positions.
The blaze was reported at 5:41 a.m. Thursday in what Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Middleton described as a “wash underpass” in the area of Oxnard Street and Louise Avenue, on the edge of the basin in the small Encino Village enclave.
Video from the scene showed flames roaring out of both sides of the tunnel as firefighters sprayed water and foam to keep the blaze from spreading.
The underpass was filled with debris that once ignited, made it impossible for crews to enter the tunnel, Middleton said.
A firefighting robot capable of being fitted with hose lines was brought in to make entry, she said, adding that crews remained at the scene at 11 a.m. and would likely remain in place for an extended period combing through and soaking the smoldering debris