110 Freeway remains closed near San Pedro after Los Angeles firefighters battled tunnel fire
The 110 Freeway remains fully closed in both directions near San Pedro Tuesday morning, after Los Angeles firefighters battled a fire that broke out in a tunnel underneath the thoroughfare.
A Sig Alert has been issued for the freeway between Vincent Thomas Bridge and Harry Bridges Boulevard. It is unclear when the road will reopen.
CBS LA has also issued a Next Traffic Alert to warn drivers about the impact on their morning commute. Some alternate routes drivers can use are the 710 Freeway, Gaffey Street or Western Avenue.
The fire was reported at around 8:50 p.m. on Monday under the northbound lanes of the freeway, firefighters said.
As of 10 p.m., crews said that they had yet to try extinguishing the flames due to the difficulty presented by a large amount of material in the tunnel from a homeless encampment that included some wooden structures, according to Los Angeles Fire Department crews.
Due to the danger presented by the fire and the conditions inside the tunnel, LAFD crews were considering the use of a firefighting robot. At around 10:20 p.m., they said that they were finally able to locate the flames and begin work mitigating the blaze.
As the firefight continued, crews said that they could feel the heat from the fire above their heads in what they believed were void spaces leftover from the construction of the bridge. They said that one option to finally extinguish the flames was to seal the entrance and flood it with water or foam.
Aerial footage showed scattered items like clothing and tarps outside the entrance to the tunnel, where they were discarded by firefighters trying to reach the seat of the flames. Smoke was seen billowing from the tunnel's opening, but no flames were immediately visible.
Firefighters were unsure what the function of the tunnel was.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.