A stretch of the northbound Harbor (110) Freeway in Wilmington was reopened Wednesday after crews put out a stubborn rubbish fire that broke out in a tunnel beneath the roadway and burned for days.
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, and both sides of the freeway were eventually closed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
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, LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said Monday. By 8:50 p.m. that night, crews were working to access and suppress fire inside the confined space beneath the roadway.
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 around midday.
No injuries have been reported.
Fire crews had not been able to get in deep enough to find the seat of the fire, which sent smoke out of the tunnel opening long after the blaze was first reported.
LAFD Assistant Chief Carlos Calvillo told reporters at the scene Tuesday 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 would check to see if the fire affected concrete, rebar and girders above the tunnel, and if the span can support traffic.
Around 1 p.m. Wednesday, all but one northbound lanes were reopened after the LAFD, Caltrans and CHP, working with city, county and state partners, completed a structural stability assessment that employed LAFD drones and robots.
“Caltrans engineers have determined that it is safe to open the 110 freeway in both directions,” according to an LAPD statement. “Emergency personnel will remain on site, requiring one northbound lane to remain closed.”
Caution was advised as workers continued to work in the area.