15 more locations along 10 Freeway pose hazard risk, Caltrans report says

In a new assessment of over 600 Airspace leases, similar to the one that went up in flames and caused the 10 Freeway closure, Caltrans said that they found "relatively few sites" presenting safety or fire concerns. 

"Safety is Caltrans' top priority," Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said. "The department is conducting this urgent safety review of our leased Airspace properties across the state to assure the public that these spaces pose no threat to their safety or the integrity of our state's critical infrastructure."

Out of the 601 Airspace leases in the state, 38 pose a potential risk. Caltrans officials said only a few of the violating sites present specific fire or safety risks. 

While the offending lessees only account for 6% of the hundreds of properties, 15 are along the I-10 Freeway in Downtown Los Angeles — not far from where the destructive fire broke out. 

The intense inferno shuttered the major thoroughfare between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue for a week. Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom initially anticipated for the 10 Freeway to remain closed for three to five weeks. However, the sheer amount of resources and around-the-clock construction shortened the timetable, allowing Thanksgiving traffic to pass through Downtown Los Angeles. 

To avoid this situation from happening again, Caltrans said it had inspected 30 of 38 sites out of compliance. Additionally, its team has issued legal notices to lessees and required them to fix any violations. It plans to inspect the remaining sites, which are not anticipated to present specific risks. 

However, these are similar steps the state took against Apex Development in the three years leading up to the storage yard fire.

In 2021, Caltrans demanded Apex Development address the numerous violations it outlined in a citation within 30 days. However, in an August 2022 inspection, investigators discovered more violations like liquid propane tanks, illegal electrical wiring and pallets. 

The state once again gave them 30 days to clean up the property. 

"This is a filthy, unmaintained lease. This area has been utilized since the mid-1970s and it looks like it," an inspector wrote in a Caltrans report from 2022. 

Under recommendations, the inspector wrote, "evict the tenant and start over."

In October 2023, inspectors discovered multiple violations again. A month later, the storage yard caught on fire because of an arson.  

In a statement. Caltrans said it will work with a lessee before taking legal action against them. When asked why officials did not take legal action against Apex Development before the fire they referred KCAL News to a statement that said they work with properties to fix the violations.