January 5th, 2024
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Early morning on November 11th, the Los Angeles Fire Department rushed to a massive fire that shut down the freeway and additional roads. The fire affected so much of the downtown area that Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. A local storage yard was the origin of the fire and the blaze spread quickly involving the hazardous materials stored. The crew took many hours to clean up and repair the 8 acres damaged after extinguishing the fire.
The storage yard was located on block 1700 near 14th Street, with over 40,000 sf. The fire spread to another nearby storage facility near Elwood Street. The damage included the storage yards, part of the Freeway, a fire truck, and several residents’ vehicles that were unfortunately trapped between the two locations.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported at the time of the incident. The Department of Water and Powering assisted in helping rescuers by increasing the water pressure so they could reach the high flames. The fire is under investigation, but police believe the wooden pallets stored outside were what initially ignited. The Freeway will continue to be shut down and reopen when the Caltrans crew inspects the overpass and confirms it is structurally safe.
Risk Logic engineers can provide advice on how to prevent fires at your storage facility. The outdoor storage of idle pallets and scrap materials could expose buildings and other surrounding elements to potential risks. Please read NFPA guidelines in our article Idle pallet fire exposure.
Contact Risk Logic for a complete property loss prevention survey to help ensure your company is safe.
