As if big-city life in Los Angeles wasn’t already stressful enough, a huge fire broke out underneath the 10 freeway Saturday, damaging the structure and causing a closure for an undetermined length of time. Officials told residents to brace for significant traffic issues as they assess the damage to the crucial artery.
The cause of the fire has been determined to be arson, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday. Most people who live in Tinsletown immediately concluded that it likely started at a homeless encampment because blazes emanating from camps routinely break out in the city, which is in a state that hosts the largest homeless population in America. I live not too far from the 170, and brushfires at the exits are seemingly weekly occurrences—and they don’t just break out by themselves.
Watch:
Newsom declared a state of emergency after a massive fire broke out in Los Angeles causing a major freeway to shut down. Many suspect it started in a homeless encampment littered with drugs housed under the freeway.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 13, 2023
Did you know that in 2021 there was an average of 25 fires a… pic.twitter.com/oRcMRF27MN
Newsom:
Gov. Gavin Newsom said investigators were trying to determine if one person or more were involved. He gave no other details.
“I have to stress that we have determined what started the fire,” Newsom told reporters.\
The fire erupted Saturday in two storage lots under Interstate 10.
Construction materials combusted quickly and the fire grew. It left many columns charred and chipped and the deck guardrails twisted.
Some are hoping Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis can help because he has a reputation for getting stuff done, while Newsom has a record of destroying things.
Under DeSantis, Florida was able to rebuild the broken Pine Island bridge in 3 days and fix the destroyed causeway in a couple of weeks… How long will California take to reopen the 10 freeway? https://t.co/qBKaDH0VEp
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 13, 2023
At this point, officials aren’t even sure how badly the overpass is damaged or how long it will take to repair. Meanwhile, residents will be living in a traffic nightmare, and even supply chain networks will be affected.
Beyond a massive traffic headache, the closure is expected to be felt well beyond the metropolis, including possibly slowing the transport of goods from the twin ports of LA and Long Beach, federal officials have said.
The ports handle more than half the goods coming into the country. President Joe Biden had been briefed on the fire.
“It’s disrupting in every way, whether you are talking about traveling to and from work or your child care plans and the flow of goods and commerce, this will disrupt the lives of Angelenos,” LA Mayor Karen Bass said.
The damage appears to be extensive:
10 Freeway remains shutdown in DTLA. Expect delays. https://t.co/M5kx7MQRlJ pic.twitter.com/ruRFYzeFc4
— The John Kobylt Show (@JohnKobyltRadio) November 12, 2023
Mayor Bass also said, “There is no reason to assume the origin of this fire … is because there were unhoused individuals nearby.” No, no reason at all, Karen, except for the fact that there are up to 24 fires a day that start in homeless camps.
Residents have hope, though—perhaps Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit LA and authorities will wondrously clean things up like they did in San Francisco. SoCal attorney Julie Hamill:
With @GavinNewsom and @MayorOfLA at the helm, we are looking at YEARS of repair before the 10 reopens. Perhaps Newsom could alert the crack team that magically cleaned up San Francisco overnight to prepare for his buddy Xi's visit.
— Julie Hamill (@hamill_law) November 13, 2023
“Xi Jinping should visit LA next and then they will clean it up!” Citizen Free Press posted on social media.
Perhaps those who theorize that the fire came out of a homeless camp will be proven wrong and it will turn out that somebody did this for other nefarious reasons. Nevertheless, you can certainly forgive residents for coming to that conclusion because the conditions are more than ripe under the “progressive” policies that have turned this city and this state into a laughingstock that even the Chinese media mocks.
Until Xi or DeSantis stops by, however, many Angelenos will be living in traffic hell while our officials tell us, “Nothing to see here, folks!”
