Northbound 110 Freeway still shut down in San Pedro after fire erupts in tunnel
The northbound side of the 110 Freeway remains closed in San Pedro more than a day after a trash fire broke out in a tunnel running under the highway.
The incident was reported shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The teams remained on site Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Although the flames have been extinguished, crews are now working to clear debris from the tunnel, described as a pedestrian crossing.
At one point, the fire closed both sides of the highway until the southbound lanes were reopened Tuesday morning. However, the northbound lane closure remains in effect between Harry Bridges Boulevard and Channel Street.
There is no estimated time for reopening. At a news conference Tuesday evening, officials said an assessment would be conducted Wednesday morning with the goal of opening the lanes as quickly as possible.
The northbound side of the 110 Freeway remains closed in San Pedro after a fire broke out in a tunnel running under the highway.
Caltrans officials are removing a large volume of water and foam that was used to extinguish the fire before they can assess the tunnel for any potential damage caused by the heat of the flames.
“There’s heat, which could cause what we call delamination: the concrete can crush and crumble. That could expose the rebar…that could impact the structural strength of the highway,” said Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokeswoman.
As these efforts continue, Los Angeles City Council Member Tim McOsker is calling for stronger fire detection safety measures, with a motion for Caltrans and the city to address ongoing risks to highway infrastructure.
ABC7’s investigative team looked at how many homeless fires have been reported and found that more than 70,000 have been reported in Los Angeles since 2020. In the area where this week’s fire broke out, 31 homeless and encampment fires have been reported over the past four years.
The investigation into how the fire started is ongoing. The tunnel is near a homeless encampment and firefighters said many of the burned items came from that encampment, such as mattresses and clothing.
