Massive Fire Caused by Arson Damages Los Angeles Freeway Used by 300,000 Cars Daily
The investigation into who is responsible remains ongoing, officials said.
By NBC News, Libs of TikTok and Gavin Newsom
On Saturday, November 11, a massive fire shut
down a crucial section of the 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. Governor Newsom said that the fire was set intentionally and that more than 100 columns were damaged in the blaze, with nine of them severely damaged. It is estimated that it will take three to five weeks to partially reopen the 10 freeway. The fire was reportedly caused by arson in storage lots below the freeway that were filled with pallets and cars and there was a homeless encampment nearby. The California Department of Transportation leased the storage yard to Apex Development Inc. that reportedly subleased the site to five or six other companies.
According to Libs of TikTok, there were an average of 25 fires per day at homeless camps in Los Angeles in 2021.
LOS ANGELES — A massive fire in a storage area that shut down a stretch of the major Interstate 10 freeway in Los Angeles was preliminarily found to be arson and the company that had the lease illegally sublet it to others, the governor said.
The fire that broke out Saturday has been called a crisis in Los Angeles, which has had traffic problems long before they were exacerbated by the closing of the stretch of I-10 south of downtown.
Investigators believe there was “malicious and willful intent of starting a fire,” California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said at a news conference.
The preliminary determination is “that this fire occurred within the fence line of the facility you see behind me, that it was arson, and that it was done and set intentionally,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
The investigation into who is responsible remains ongoing, officials said.
The stretch of the freeway, from near Boyle Heights and running west, might have to be demolished and replaced. Over 100 columns were damaged, Newsom said, around nine or 10 severely.
There were no deaths in the fire, which broke out early Saturday morning, officials said.
The 10 freeway is a major artery in Los Angeles and the region. Around 300,000 people would normally drive that stretch of the freeway every day, Mayor Karen Bass said, and employers were asked to have staff work remotely.
The area under the freeway had been leased by the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans.
Newsom called the company that held that lease “bad actors” that had been in litigation with state officials, and which had stopped paying its rent, Newsom said.
The company, Apex Development Inc., had subleased the site to five and possibly six other companies without legal authorization, he said.
An attorney whose office represents Apex Development Inc. in litigation with the state said, “we are currently investigating ourselves what happened at the yard under the freeway.”
“As such, we are not prepared to give an official statement or answer questions until we have determined what actually occurred. But let me assure you, Apex Development, Inc. did not have anything to do with the fire,” attorney Mainak D’Attaray said in a statement.
The lease permitted the storage of non-flammable and non-explosive materials, as well as operational vehicles, Newsom said.
It was clear from the fire that materials stored there included cars, pallets, and fruits and vegetables, Newsom said, but investigators are still looking at what was there.
Campamento Tortuguero Playa Hermosa is a turtle sanctuary on Bonfil Beach outside of Acapulco that rescues sea turtle eggs that would be likely destroyed by vehicles on the beaches or pilfered by tourists. The sanctuary protects the eggs, hatches them and releases the babies into the ocean while protecting them from seagulls and other winged predators.
The 35-year-old sanctuary is run by the mother/daughter duo of Monica and Michel Vallarino, who have helped educate the community and the tourists on the ecology of the turtles while simultaneously providing a refuge for puppies, kittens, ducks, rabbits, and other wayward animals.
The Art of Liberty Foundation hosted an annual fundraiser from 2018-2020 called the Art of Liberty on the Beach (aKa The Turtle Party), where many of the leading artists in the liberty movement have rocked the sanctuary including Grant "Prezence" Ellman, Truniversal/Free Willow, Alais Clay, the Freenauts, DJ Koala, DJ Ramiro Romani and ELA-mental among others.
The sanctuary was devasted by Hurricane Otis, a category five hurricane that hit Acapulco and Bonfil Beach on November 2nd 2023.
25% of Funds Raised Will Benefit Other Residents of Bonfil Beach
The Art of Liberty Foundation is organizing a fundraiser where 100% of the proceeds will go to direct relief. The Vallarinos have agreed to share 25% of the proceeds with other Bonfil Beach residents in need to be distributed at their discretion.