On Friday, September 27, most areas of the Port of Los Angeles were impassable due to a heavy truck carrying large lithium batteries overturning and catching fire. Major roads leading to the area, including the Vincent Thomas Bridge, were closed, and the Long Beach Port was also affected.
According to the city news agency, the truck overturned and caused the container to catch fire shortly before noon on Thursday in the 900 block of North Seaside Avenue.
The Los Angeles Fire Department team quickly arrived on the scene, but due to the nature of lithium batteries, firefighters chose to retreat and let the flames extinguish themselves. They pointed out that using water to put out the fire would not be very effective and could potentially cause greater environmental harm.
The fire continued to burn throughout the day on Thursday, with the container continuing to emit heat.
David Ortiz, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told Fox11 on Friday morning, “We have drones monitoring the heat.” However, he mentioned the difficulty in assessing the situation, as the batteries were sealed and it was uncertain whether the heat from any potential chain reaction could reignite the fire or if their actions could lead to greater problems and trigger another fire.
The Seaside (Route 47) Freeway segment between Harbor Boulevard and the 710 Freeway was closed, causing significant traffic congestion in the area, especially affecting truck traffic.
California Highway Patrol officers stated that the Vincent Thomas Bridge could remain closed for 24 to 48 hours.
There have been no reports of injuries, and the cause of the truck overturning remains unclear.
Nicholas Prange, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, stated that the firefighters would continue to monitor the fire throughout the day but it was uncertain when the burning truck and container could be removed and when the road could be reopened.
The Port of Los Angeles and the nearby Port of Long Beach are among the busiest cargo handling centers globally.
The Port of Los Angeles announced in a statement that its operations were impacted by the truck overturning incident on Thursday afternoon. Currently, traffic has been redirected, and all drivers are advised to choose alternative routes. Four docks remained closed on Friday.
The statement mentioned that the Los Angeles Port Police, along with senior port officials, were collaborating with emergency agencies, container terminal operators, union officials, and other relevant parties to ensure safety and minimize disruptions.
Additionally, the Port of Long Beach also issued a statement on its website, stating that the battery fire incident on Navy Way in the Port of Los Angeles also affected operations at nearby docks in Long Beach. Two docks were temporarily closed.
However, the Port of Long Beach pointed out that it was not expected for this incident to have a significant impact on the flow of goods at the port.