NB-110 Freeway reopens in Wilmington after tunnel fire

Flames extinguished in fire that caused 110 Freeway closure

Caltrans inspected the freeway's structural integrity and determined one northbound lane on the freeway was safe to reopen on Wednesday.

LOS ANGELES - One of two northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway in the Wilmington and San Pedro areas reopened on Wednesday following a tunnel fire, officials said. 

What we know:

Fire officials said crews responded to a fire around 7:50 p.m. Monday, May 4 on the northbound side of the freeway where they found remnants of a fire.

As crews worked to knock down the flames, the California Highway Patrol shut down the 110 Freeway in both directions from Harry Bridges Boulevard and Channel Street. Crews then reopened the southbound lanes by late Tuesday morning. 

The fire is believed to have been started by people living in a nearby homeless encampment. FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff surveyed the scene as there was debris near where the fire started. More encampments were spotted a few-hundred yards from the tunnel, Seedorff observed.

Fire under 110 FWY shuts down lanes

A fire beneath the 110 Freeway in Wilmington has shut down northbound lanes for more than 24 hours as crews work to clear a debris-filled tunnel and assess damage.

LAFD Heavy Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue crews responded to the northbound freeway where they found the remnants of a fire, LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said.

SUGGESTED: Fire under 110 FWY shuts down lanes; FOX 11 finds nearby tunnel encampments

While most of the firefight was under control by Tuesday morning, crews faced challenges in the confined space, saying the large amount of material inside the tunnel and surrounding area has been an issue. The material they found also includes some wooden structures.

Tunnel fires shuts down parts of 110 Freeway

A tunnel fire shut down parts of the 110 Freeway near Wilmington in Los Angeles County.

Just before 2 p.m. on Wednesday, officials announced one northbound lane is reopening while the other lane continues to be inspected by emergency personnel on site.

"Caltrans engineers have determined that it is safe to open the 110 freeway in both directions," according to an LAPD statement. "Emergency personnel will remain on site, requiring one northbound lane to remain closed."

No injuries were reported.

What they're saying:

"It's really just a fire that we have to be patient with. It's too dangerous to put firefighters in the tunnel. You're going, you'd be going into an environment where it's actually venting. So the conditions are just smoke all banked all the way down to the ground," said LAFD Asst. Chief Carlos Calvillo. "We believe that not only the contents in there are burning, but heavy lumber that was used to form the tunnel is all still in there, and we believe that that material is burning as well. "

What we don't know:

 No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been identified in connection with the tunnel fire.

What's next:

There was no immediate estimate of when the single nremaining northbound lane would reopen. 

Authorities are recommending drivers take the following alternate routes if possible:

• Northbound 110: From San Pedro take Gaffey Street north to access the freeway at a later point.
• Alternative Surface Routes: Use Harbor Boulevard or Western Avenue (CA-213) to move northbound through the Wilmington/San Pedro area.
• Avoiding the Area Entirely: Use I-710 North or I-405 North to I-710 North if coming from the Long Beach area.