Investigators found fire and safety hazards on land under I-10 in Los Angeles before arson fire

LOS ANGELES — State investigators repeatedly identified fire and safety hazards at a leased storage space under an elevated Los Angeles freeway before it burned in an arson fire, documents show.

The Nov. 11 blaze, fed by flammable materials stored under the roadway in violation of the company’s lease, closed a stretch of Interstate 10 near downtown for days, snarling traffic as repair crews work around the clock to fix it. Officials say all lanes are expected to reopen by Tuesday.

The California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, released the documents on Friday, a day before investigators said they identified a “person of interest” and released two photos in a “crime alert notification” posted to social media. Authorities said Saturday they are seeking the public’s help to identify the person.

While investigators have not said how the fire was set, the blaze was fed by pallets, cars, construction materials, hand sanitizer and other items being stored under the freeway under a little-known program that now is under scrutiny. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will reassess the practice of leasing land under roads to bring in money for mass transportation projects.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to join Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass and other officials on Sunday morning in Los Angeles to publicly address the fire response and repair work.

Apex Development Inc. has leased the land under I-10 since 2008. Although one condition of the contract stipulated it not allow flammable or hazardous materials to be stored there, state inspectors have visited the site six times since early 2020 and flagged problematic conditions for years.

“This is a filthy unmaintained lease,” inspector Daryl Myatt wrote in a 2022 report following a surprise inspection that discovered solvents, oils, fuels and other items prohibited by the agreement. “This area has been utilized since the mid-1970s and looks like it.”