A massive fire that resulted in the closure of the I-10 freeway in Los Angeles was likely caused by arson, Gov. Gavin Newsom says

14.11.2023 - 04:05 / insider.com / Gavin Newsom

Arson likely caused a massive weekend fire that has indefinitely closed a vital section of a freeway in Los Angeles, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.

He did not say whether there were any suspects or persons of interest. The fire left the columns of Interstate 10 charred and chipped and the deck guardrails were twisted and blackened. Crews shored up the most damaged section for the safety of workers clearing the debris. It's still unclear what structural damage, if any, the blaze caused to the freeway.

Engineers were assessing the situation Monday. 

"We know that the origin of this is arson," LA Mayor Karen Bass said. "We do not know other information." She emphasized that there also is no reason to assume it was started by people who are homeless living under that section of freeway.

Downtown LA seemed "more quiet than usual" on Monday, said Blair Besten, director of LA's Historic Core business improvement district. She said she worried about another hit to businesses just emerging from the economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.

"I hope folks aren't listening to leadership calling them to work from home!" Besten said. "Our businesses are just bouncing back from the Covid shutdowns. Business was just getting good."

The cause of the fire Saturday is under investigation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday afternoon and directed the state Department of Transportation to request federal assistance.

The governor said Sunday that California has been in litigation with the owner of the business leasing the storage property where the fire started. The lease is expired, Newsom said, and the business had been in arrears while subleasing the space. "This is a site we were aware of, this is a lessee we were aware of," he said.

Homeless encampments are also common sights near Southern California highways. In 2020, the city and county of Los Angeles agreed to provide housing for almost 7,000 people who lived under freeways and near exit and entrance ramps. In approving the deal, a federal judge said unhoused residents in those areas face particularly deadly hazards including pollutants and passing cars.